SMWS 93.201 (Glen Scotia)

SMWS 93.201 (Glen Scotia)

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 61.5%

Price: £65.00

93.201 is a single cask release for the Campbeltown Malts Festival. It was distilled 10th of June 2014 and matured for 8 years in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel. The cask produced 215 bottles.

Nose

Oily, sweet, creamy vanilla, salted pistachios, lemon cheesecake filling, diesel, a slight hint of caramel and tinned mackerel. We were expecting a big punch of alcohol on the nose, but it’s easy to get deep into the glass without much alcohol burn in the way. Going back and we’re getting sourdough starter and homemade fudge.

Palate

The palate begins with creamy vanilla juxtaposed against twiglet snacks. There’s aniseed, baked rolls, caramel with a particularly chewy texture towards the good length finish. There’s a bit of an alcohol bite here, in line with the 61%, alongside saltwater, wet cardboard and yeast. Going back, we’re getting sour haribo, the apple ones, and white pepper spice.

Nose (with water)

It’s fruitier upfront, apples and pears, creme patisserie, with a loss of the overtly fishy and funky aromas. There’s still lots of bourbon cask sweetness here, but overall the nose feels a bit less complex... a bit less going on.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate mirrors the reduced nose in terms of loss of complexity, but that’s not to say it’s a bad dram, it’s super pleasant and palatable. An easier drinker. There’s still the oiliness, creamy vanilla and custard, a touch of fruit and a hint of funk that the end.

Conclusion

An interesting dram, lots going on with the signature Glen Scotia style. It’s salty, sweet, fruity, creamy and oily all at once. Saying that, it’s a challenging dram for someone who isn’t accustomed to the oily and coastal flavour profile. Water doesn’t add too much, it mellows some of the more interesting aromas and flavours, so we'd be hesitant when adding.

Score: 7.5/10

• 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
• 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
• 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
• 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
• 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
• 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
• 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
• 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
• 2 - Pour it out
• 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

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