July 2012

Bottling List

Outturn www.smws.ca

Another great

round-up of

whiskies!

www.smws.ca

Each Society bottling is unique. And each can be identified by its markings. The

tasting notes give you an insight into the characteristics of each whisky, and are

the best place to start.

You may find yourself drawn to ‘complex, captivating and Christmassy’ or have a

preference for something ‘a big eye-watering slap.’ Maybe your instincts lead you to

a dram that’s more like ‘an old jazz bar’ or perhaps akin to ‘Sophia Loren in a

mink coat.’

These curious descriptors are your best clue to what you’ll find within each bottle,

and are at the heart of The Society’s raison d’être.

With The Society’s monthly selection of single cask malts it’s not surprising that

some members find it hard to focus on their perfect bottlings. Thankfully it’s not

cheating to ask for help. Just call Kensington Wine Market at 403-283-8000

(within Calgary) or at 1-888-283-9004 (outside Calgary) or email us at

curious@smws.ca or scotchguy@kensingtonwinemarket.com for advice of an

expert nature.

How to use Outturn

Welcome to the July 2012 Outturn!

outturn n. 1 The number of Society bottles produced from a single cask. Varies

from cask to cask. A finite number that will, sooner or later, run out.

2 The name given to Society bottling lists, containing Tasting Notes for each

recently released Society bottling of which only a limited number are ever available

(see above).

2

Cheshire cat whisky

Cask No ‘Sweet manna from heaven’ – toffee, fudge, caramel, Toffifees, vanilla, honey

– but more – tea chests, spice racks, aromatic smoke, burnt heather and

pencils in a library – we could have sniffed it endlessly. Water opened up the

fruit – sherbet, orange zest, peach, strawberry, tinned grapes, sweet sap and

light smoke – panellists grinning like Cheshire cats. The sweet, oaky palate

had tablet, fudge and bread dough – by an open fire; but it also had a darker

side – woody, earthy, drying, with sticky cassis and treacle. Water brightened

it up – Starbursts, Skittles and spicy Advocaat. From the distillery always

directed by John or George.

1.164 Bottle price

$184.99

It needs time - one for a long journey perhaps - or

for an evening with no pressure

Drinking tip:

Colour: Polished gold Date distilled: October 1985

Cask: Refill hogshead, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 52.1%

Age: 27 years Outturn: 230 bottles

www.smws.ca 3

Speyside (Spey)

Speyside (Lossie)

A whisky to dream about

Cask No We were drawn into this whisky, a dreamlike state descending on the panel.

Our nostrils remembered bananas, toffee and custard in a rose garden. The

blades of grass were red laces. Adding water saw us reading old leather

books, while bananas, pineapples and lemons grew all around. Meanwhile

our tongues recalled oak and spice with liquorice and plum skins before

water introduced mangoes, kiwi fruits and a big box of apples made out of

sandalwood. A dream so real, we could taste and smell every second of it.

Wonderful!

39.85 Bottle price

$198.99

Perfect for an afternoon of daydreaming in the rose

garden

Drinking tip:

Colour: Barley stalks Date distilled: October 1982

Cask: Refill hogshead, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 57.4%

Age: 29 years Outturn: 274 bottles

Has a dark

side!

29 years old!

After skiing with a cheese fondue Drinking tip:

Colour: Blushed apricot gold Date distilled: November 2001

Cask: Refill barrel, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 58%

Age: 10 years Outturn: 211 bottles

www.smws.ca 4

Highland (Eastern)

Scottish Heidi

Cask No Aromas of a rock garden with a variety of herbs like sage, fennel and turmeric

as well as a floral note of Edelweiss, whilst in the background fresh tar being

laid on a road. On the palate smoky Swiss cheese with digestive biscuits then

becoming sweeter, brownies and dark mint chocolates with a trace of teasing

lavender smoke. Adding water, dry and dusty then turning fresh like a Ricola

Lemon mint followed by a nougat note of dark Toblerone. The taste with water

is of pork sausages, water biscuits with peppered cream cheese and a dry

volcanic ashy note to finish. This distillery is believed to be named after a

peninsula between Cardross and Helensburgh.

66.33 Bottle price

$112.99

Speyside (Lossie)

Nicey, nicey, sweet ’n spicy

Cask No The nose was finely layered – old-fashioned, expensive, floral perfume on top;

apple sauce, gooseberry purée and a tin of fruity boiled sweets below that;

the olfactory sub-strata inhabited by patent leather and old books. The taste

was sweet and hot – opinions included tom yam soup, mango chutney, HP

Sauce, chilli, crystallised ginger and leather. The reduced nose added floral

pot-pourri, plum chutney, polished sandalwood and Indian food (ginger,

paprika, etc.). The palate improved but the sweet and savoury profile

remained steady – toffee, honey, sugar-coated fennel seeds, liquorice and

salty lime pickle. This distillery does not draw water from Loch Dhu!

64.35 Bottle price

$160.99

A bit of a talking point whisky - could accompany

an Asian or Indian takeaway

Drinking tip:

Colour: Twinkly gold Date distilled: February 1990

Cask: Refill barrel, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 55.2%

Age: 21 years Outturn: 208 bottles

Premiere of distillery 66 in Canada!

Glazed cashews and lemon lollies

Cask No Stunning for its age! Creamy fudge, condensed milk, Golden Syrup on hot

buttered toast; Caramac toffee/chocolate; ‘Dolcé de Leché’ (Argentinian

pastries). A very sweet taste, then mouth drying, with a thread of smoke in the

finish; caramelised cashew nuts and fresh kindling wood. A drop of water

musters crushed rosemary, beurre noir, ‘lemon lollies in warm sand’, sea-salt

and a trace of struck matches; the taste smooth and viscous, with a light

sweetness balanced by dry tannins; allspice, leather and tobacco in the finish.

A classic old-fashioned example of the make from Campbeltown’s leading

distillery.

27.97 Bottle price

$127.99

In a beach hut Drinking tip:

Colour: Deep amber; cream sherry Date distilled: May 1998

Cask: Refill gorda, ex-sherry Alcohol: 57.6%

Age: 13 years Outturn: 788 bottles

After dinner, with espresso and dark chocolate Drinking tip:

5

Colour: Deep amber Date distilled: February 1994

Cask: Refill sherry butt Alcohol: 52.1%

Age: 16 years Outturn: 660 bottles

www.smws.ca

Highland (Northern)

Campbeltown

Everything under the sun

Cask No The note-taker was bombarded with descriptors for the nose – morello

cherries, tinned pineapple, orange blossom, maple syrup, honey, rum and

raisin fudge, treacle toffee, fruit cake, muscovado, clove pomanders, liquorice,

leather and oaked wine, to name a few. The palate was equally complex, with

raisins, sultanas, dates, fig rolls, Christmas cake, liquorice, eucalyptus,

Fisherman’s Friends, caramel, orange oil, leather and PVC. The reduced nose

had Jaffa Cakes, strawberry jam and coffee, while the palate had orange zest,

dried fruits, Campinos, burnt sugar, pepper, distant matches and smoke in

the finish. The distillery has tall stills and a ghostly White Lady.

125.41 Bottle price

$154.49

www.smws.ca

Islay

Wild west cowgirl dressed in leather

Cask No We identified various typical aromas - sea breezes, shell sand, burnt sticks,

embers, smoke, and crispy duck on the barbeque – but also vanilla, liquorice,

lime, tobacco and fresh laundry flapping on the clothes-line. Mineral notes

increased with water – quarries, flint, crushed rock, lobster shells and distant

tarmac lorries – also nettles, sorrel and thyme. The palate, at natural strength,

was big and busty – a tobacco-chewing, cigar-smoking, Wild West cowgirl

dressed in leather. In reduction, sweet malt flavours came through, along with

tar, ash, liquorice, dark chocolate, rhubarb and German Salbei throat sweets

(sage). From the ‘love it or hate it’ distillery.

29.110 Bottle price

$118.99

For reflective moments, preferably by the seashore Drinking tip:

Colour: Lager and lime Date distilled: February 2001

Cask: Refill hogshead, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 57.2%

Age: 10 years Outturn: 266 bottles

Yahoo!

6

How to order from Friday July 6th

Through The Scotch Malt Whisky Society website at www.smws.ca, which will

then take you through to the Kensington Wine Market website for final purchase.

Through the Kensington Wine Market website at

www.kensingtonwinemarket.com - search for ‘The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’

under the Scotch tab.

By phoning Andrew Ferguson at the Kensington Wine Market at (403) 283-8000

(within Calgary) or at 1-888-283-9004 (outside Calgary).

In person at Kensington Wine Market, located at

1257 Kensington Road NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 3P8.

Remember, you have to be a member to

purchase, so please have your membership number handy!

Not for swigging, glugging or knocking back! 7

But not forever!

Here’s a chance to sample some rare treats from our bottle bank of past Society

releases. Remember, Society whiskies are bottled from single casks, so they don’t

last forever. As the number of remaining drams decreases, their rarity increases.

Fortunately for you, the price doesn’t!

Past Bottlings

Wowee!

Cask No Wowee! – a mouth-watering nose – initial waves of teriyaki, soy noodles, crispy

bacon, cough medicine and rum, followed by roast pork with apple sauce and

sultanas cooking in cinnamon, butter and sugar; also some grass, wood glue

and bubble gum. We tasted fascinating flavours of char siu pork, dried figs

and cooked cherries and apples – then a breath-taking finish of liquorice, shoe

polish, wood and posh leather. The reduced nose was sweeter and tamer –

spiced onion jam and Old English Spangles. The palate now suggested brown

sugar on porridge, maple candy and hints of grapefruit. The distillery has a

musical clock tower.

105.17 Bottle price

$189.99

Speyside (Spey)

While waiting for the pork roast to be ready - easy

on the water

Drinking tip:

Colour: Deep ginger Date distilled: September 1983

Cask: First fill sherry hogshead Alcohol: 55.3%

Age: 28 years Outturn: 310 bottles

28 years old!

Only one left!

www.smws.ca 8

Speyside (Lossie)

Sunshine on barley fields and meadows

Cask No The nose entertained us with spicy oak, leather, pepper, polish and glue;

considerable toffee and vanilla kept blossoming in the glass – followed

eventually by dusty tobacco, cigar boxes and saunas. The flavours were dark

and interesting – attractively bitter; hinting at dark chocolate, leather, singed

orange zest, liquorice, tarragon and chipotle chillies. The reduced nose gave

us sunshine on hay bales, barley fields and meadows, Old English spangles,

oatmeal, raspberry and banana, with tutti frutti ice-cream and vanilla

underlying everything. The taste became fruity, floral and perfumed but with

nippy, earthy elements – full and complex. From the distillery next to Benriach.

7.73 Bottle price

$148.99

While riding through the orchard on hot summer

days

Drinking tip:

Colour: Veiled bronze Date distilled: March 1998

Cask: First fill sherry butt Alcohol: 56.8%

Age: 13 years Outturn: 830 bottles

Rabbit, ginger & treacle tart

Cask No Big rich sweet aromas accosted the Panel – ginger cake, strawberry Chewits,

treacle tart, cinnamon, malt loaf but also earthy mushrooms, Marigolds (the

gloves not the flowers), leather and musky horses; this was when one Panellist

pictured herself riding a spice-bag-laden Andalusian horse through orchards

wearing leather chaps. Warm, sweet, savoury on the palate, hot and tannic

with rosemary & sage, saddle polish, rabbit paella, warm chocolate sponge,

dried cranberries and hazelnuts. Diluted, aromas of olive groves, red apples,

hay and grilled rabbit with smooth, creamy tastes of oranges, prunes,

strawberries, apricots and more rabbit. Founded as Kinflat distillery in 1810.

71.34 Bottle price

$121.99

Speyside (Lossie)

A lazy, sunny Sunday afternoon dram Drinking tip:

Colour: Rose gold Date distilled: April 1993

Cask: Refill barrel, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 56.4%

Age: 18 years Outturn: 224 bottles

9 www.smws.ca

Islay

Sweet vs savoury

Cask No

Bacon, maple syrup and waffles vie with Black Forest Gateaux and sticky toffee

pudding, while fried seaweed, spare ribs and black pudding tussle with lint

bandages, and smoke. Sweet, rich, smoky, ashy, thick and herbal on the palate

lent weight to the meatiness (pork covered in caramel). The addition of water

brought forth aromas of smoked goose, salty scallops, toffee, Seville orange

marmalade and fresh minty notes. The taste was chewy and rich but this time

with scorched heather, burnt citrus, barbecued lamb & mint sauce, violet ice

cream and caramelised onions. This distillery’s mascot is Shortie the Jack

Russell.

A definite foodie dram - while spit roasting a suck-

ling pig, perhaps?

Drinking tip:

Colour: Burnished gold Date distilled: August 1999

Cask: Refill butt Alcohol: 56.3%

Age: 11 years Outturn: 630 bottles

33.114 Bottle price

$111.99

Back after a long

absence!

Soft, spicy, rich and intense

Cask No Wonderfully soft and perfumed yet spicy, deep, intense on the nose - hints of

sandlewood, dark cherries, toasted apple, candyfloss, oranges and spices

transported us to a late autumn bonfire (not Guy Fawkes or Halloween though).

On the palate initial intense spicy perfumed woody notes gave way to a soft

creamy taste with a hot spicy almost tannic finish. Water (and it didn’t really need

it) made it waxier with church candles and saddle soap, sweet caramel and rich

apple tarte tatin. To taste it seems even spicy - cinnamon, aniseed and clove but

still very soft and supple with a long sweet unctuous finish.

A4

Bottle price

$170.99

Armagnac

A perfect autumnal dram but would be fantastic as a

digestif

Drinking tip:

Colour: Orange copper Date distilled: January 1983

Cask: Refill hogshead, ex-bourbon Alcohol: 47%

Age: 22 years Outturn: 434 bottles

10 www.smws.ca

Com

ing

soon

!!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is on YouTube!

Let your fingers do the walking to

www.youtube.com/user/smwssilverscreen

The London Venue manager enjoys

1.164 Cheshire Cat Whisky (hint: see page 3)

What are the origins of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society?

Members talk about their Society experience

and more!

Share them with your friends!

11 Not for swigging, glugging or knocking back!

Society tasting glasses are now available!

$12.00 each

(plus shipping and handling and applicable taxes)

Go to www.smws.ca and click on ‘Dry Goods’

For members only (contents sold separately).

Curious? Read on!

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, founded in 1983 in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the world’s largest

single malt whisky club, with 26,000 members in 16 countries. The Society bottles in excess

of 300 casks each year from up to 128 distilleries, all at cask strength, and

available exclusively to members.

Members also receive The Society’s award winning magazine, Unfiltered, and have access to

member’s venues in Edinburgh, London, Tokyo and elsewhere.

The Canadian branch releases new single malt whiskies every month on the

first Friday of the month (“First Fridays!’).

In Canada, The Society’s exclusive retailer is Kensington Wine Market in Calgary. Membership can be

purchased for $230 plus GST (which includes the new member’s kit, pictured above) by calling

Kensington Wine Market at 403-283-8000 or visiting KWM’s website at www.kensingtonwinemarket.com.

Annual renewals are $120 (plus GST).

Only single cask, single malt whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight

our members are selected, true to our motto:

To leave no nose upturned.

www.smws.ca

12