Review #871 - SMWS 100.27 'Colorful and Flavorful' - Strathmill 11 Year
This single malt from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, distilled by the Speyside distillery Strathmill, came off the stills in March of 2010. It started its life in an ex-bourbon hogshead, but after that, the Society finished the distillate in a first fill Oloroso sherry cask to add a fruity element to the flavor profile.
The total maturation time was 11 years, and after that, this was bottled at a cask strength of 55.3% ABV. We've tried a couple of wine-finished Strathmills from SMWS in the past, with decent results - let's see how this Oloroso sherry version fares.
SMWS 100.27 'Colorful and Flavorful' - Strathmill 11 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 120 (2022)
Age Statement: 11 Years
Strength: 55.3% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon hogshead, finished in a first fill Oloroso sherry hogshead
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled March 25, 2010; 155 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times (once blind) over 6 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Rich and dark complexion, with caramel, chocolate, prunes, and cola. It's intensely sherried, and we get more dark notes of stewed raisins, medjool dates, Tootsie Rolls, and root beer. There's a hint of juicy passionfruit in the background, as well as a bit of sugary malt and a hint of sulphur.
Palate: Juicy raspberries, strong orange fruit, orange peel, and semi-sour prune - strong fruity sherry notes. Leather, chocolate, and a soft barrel char note add some maturity, and we also get sweetness from fudge and spiced caramel. Earthy notes linger in the background; this has a medium-thick mouthfeel.
Finish: Leathery oak, polished oak - this tastes older than its age. Perfume, oranges, and raisins come next, followed by some oak spice and a bit of licorice. We find semi-sweet baking chocolate and charcoal in the aftertaste; this has a medium-long finish.
Final Note: The Oloroso finish on this Strathmill single malt is quite strong - tons of dark fruit notes, and quite a bit of mature oak spice as well, which suggests that it may have been a European oak sherry casks which was used for finishing (it isn't specified). The complexion of this whisky is dark and mature, more than we expected at 11 years of age, but we love it for that - this dram drinks beyond its years. This is a great bottle, one we would be happy to have on the shelf.
Overall, our experience with these SMWS Strathmill bottlings has been quite positive, and they generally fall on the more reasonable end of the SMWS pricing spectrum. Because of that, value here is very good, and we'll be on the lookout for similar bottlings in the future.
Our Rating: 8.5 / 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: 6.89
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.
Check out our other Strathmill reviews:
Review #870 - SMWS 100.35 'A Rollercoaster' - Strathmill 11 Year
