It’s been well over a year since we’ve encountered the Scotch Malt Whisky Society‘s always-interesting independent bottlings. These two recently outturned expressions showed up almost as a surprise. Thoughts follow.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 48.29 – 12 year old Balmenach from Speyside. Big, malty nose, but also quite sweet, with hints of orange and sugar cane. The body starts off amazingly sweet, with marshmallow and vanilla, before evolving more fruity notes, almost jam-like, in the mid-palate. Cereal notes come along in the finish, quite mild, but also complementary to what comes before, lending the affair a pastry-like experience. 122 proof. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM SMWS]

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 93.47 – 9 year old Glen Scotia from Campbeltown. Immediately intriguing and unusual on the nose: some smoke, cocoa powder, coal fires, and roasted nuts. The body brings even more complexity: seaweed and salt mix with sweet pound cake, vanilla frosting, marzipan, and a dusting of spice. The finish is a little short considering all that’s going on, but the overall experience is marvelously fun to explore on the whole. 119.4 proof. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM SMWS]

prices $NA / smwsa.com

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask 48.29

9

Rating

9.0/10

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