Review #776 - SMWS 93.149 'Pleasingly Idiosyncratic' - Glen Scotia 8 Year
Glen Scotia produces a few different spirit styles, both peated and unpeated; here's a single cask from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society that uses peated spirit, though it falls into the Society's 'Lightly Peated' flavor profile. This was distilled back in 2012 and bottled at the relatively young age of 8 years old.
The cask choice was a first fill bourbon barrel; because it's first fill, the spirity notes should be rounded off, but there isn't any sherry or other wine influence to mask the spirit character, so we should get to see what Glen Scotia distillate really tastes like. SMWS doesn't water down their single cask whiskies; this one comes in at a strength of 60.7% ABV.
SMWS 93.149 'Pleasingly Idiosyncratic' - Glen Scotia 8 Year
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price: USD 120 (2021)
Age Statement: 8 Years
Strength: 60.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled March 16, 2012; 234 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 14 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Anise and a decent amount of peat bring some sharp notes to start, and there's a soft funk in the background, almost like dirty mushrooms. Mineral notes, wood smoke, and a little lactic or creamy note add more depth; then, we get sweetness from molasses, vanilla, and tropical fruit like pineapple or pina coladas. Sanded pine wood is a subtle accent.
Palate: This has a thick mouthfeel, and it's full of flavors like kiwi and pineapple, vanilla, and a medium amount of peat. Peppery spice and ash bring a kick, along with some spicy jalapeno, and we get mango salsa and lime as well. There's a soft vegetal side, as well as smoked rosemary and dry rub beef ribs.
Finish: This has a very long finish; flavors of vanilla, hay, white pepper, and dry oak lead a lighter complexion at this point. Spicy, still peaty, and we get some funk and a bit more green fruit.
Final Note: This is a very nice, interesting single cask of Glen Scotia. While it is young, it doesn't taste that way; not too spirity, but there's still a decent amount of peat smoke influence despite the 'lightly peated' designation. We found loads of sweet fruit notes along the way, especially tropical fruits, and there's a decent amount of that 'Campbeltown funk' at times in the nose and finish. Great whisky.
Value at the original price was good. This was one of the cheaper bottles we've seen from SMWS, but it still delivers a lot of interesting flavor; Glen Scotia shines at this sort of age, too, so we'll be on the lookout for more single casks with similar specifications.
Our Rating: 8.1 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.59
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
