We're back with the Scotch Malt Whisky Societies April 2025 outturn review. This month has a more curated selection of 17 new whiskies, presumably saving some back for the festival releases next month.
The society have also unveiled a new concept - "Two-to-One" - where two casks from the same distillery are vatted together into a small batch release. There's a new logo on the top right of the label to denote this. Unlike their heresy range, these are bottled at cask strength and have a smaller number of bottles - usually 300-600 rather than being in the thousands.
Not all bottles from the outturn were available at the preview, but check out our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) to get an updates on any missing bottles and heads up on our other reviews. One notable bottle we missed this month was the 70. We’ve heard from a few people that it’s good, and while we can’t confirm that ourselves, it might be one to look out for if it sounds like your kind of thing.
The scores below are based on our initial impressions. For full disclosure, we won't spend as much time with a dram as we usually do for a full review, but we hope you'll find the scores useful.
- 10 - Perfection. One in a million
- 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
- 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
- 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
- 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
- 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
- 4 - Below average. Passable.
- 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
- 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
- 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.
Onto the bottles...
4.357 - Highland Park Distillery
Name: Sphagnum and Heather
Flavour Profile: Peated
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 62.2%
Age: 12
Price: £77.00
The nose opens with light highland peat, sweet honeycomb, dark chocolate, hay, wheat and rice paper. The alcohol is in good balance and the nose is fairly well integrated, albeit a bit simple. The palate has a syrup-like mouthfeel with menthol, lemon balm, lime leaf, simple sugars and a light smoke that rides through each stage of the palate. The spice is a bit overpowering on the palate for us. It’s a fine dram, a little simple and just a bit boring, however there’s nothing wrong with it, a nice relaxing dram.
Score: 6/10
Value: A few pounds cheaper would have been nice, but we won't complain.
5.140 - Auchentoshan Distillery
Name: Fluffylump
Flavour Profile: Light & Delicate
Region: Lowland
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 58.0%
Age: 11
Price: £68.50
The nose opens with light pineapple, soda water, white pepper, passion fruit, green apple skin and juicy sweeties. Fairly light and fruity, with the signature triple distilled Auchentoshan character. The palate has a simple sugar syrup-like mouthfeel, with flavours of foam bananas covered in chocolate, puréed mangoes, fresh mandarins, tinned pineapple and some warming heat towards the finish. We added a splash of water and the tropical fruits really jump out the glass for us, but the nose gets a little mustier. We enjoy Auchentoshan, and this is a fairly good representation, although it needs a drop of water to come to life.
Score: 7/10
Value: The price is average compared to other bottlers; some are cheaper, others more expensive.
9.301 - Glen Grant Distillery
Name: One to Shout from the Rooftops
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 57.2%
Age: 21
Price: £120.00
The nose opens with malt, a little tomato juice, menthol, honey nut cornflakes, a little synthetic strawberry and a bit of Greek yoghurt. It’s quite a tight nose, and considerably less sweet than we’d expect from this distillery, cask and age. The palate has a reasonably viscous mouthfeel, grapefruit, chocolate orange, more cornflakes, ginger biscuits and seeded bloomer bread. There’s some honey in the background but it’s a fairly spicy and dry dram for us, we’re not quite in agreement with the sweet, fruity and mellow profile. We had high hopes but unfortunately this doesn’t live up to them.
Score: 6/10
Value: Not a bad price for a 21-year-old.
10.284 - Bunnahabhain Distillery
Name: Ginger Rollmop Sushi Phantasmagoria
Flavour Profile: Peated
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 1st fill American oak ex-px hogshead & 2nd fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 59.1%
Age: 11
Price: £80.00
The nose has a lot of upfront sherry aromas, over roasted hazelnuts, dry roasted peanuts, salt water, and lots and lots of peat smoke coming through. There’s also salted caramel, dark chocolate and cinnamon bark. The palate is engulfed by peat smoke, charred oak, roasted coffee beans, dark chocolate nibs, quite bitter - but in a balanced, coffee-like way. The mouthfeel is good, and the finish lingers for a while with oily fish, fresh ginger and cigar smoke. A well done Bunnah, a lot of sherry but a lot of smoke to counterbalance this.
Score: 7/10
Value: The price is in line with other Society 10s of this age, but could be more competitively priced against their competitors.
18.76 - Inchgower Distillery
Name: Moroccan Pastilla Anyone?
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: New American oak HTMC hogshead & 1st fill Spanish oak ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 55.4%
Age: 15
Price: £80.00
The nose opens with copper, candied ginger, light caramel, chocolate biscuits, grape bust and brandy snaps. There’s a bit of prickly alcohol, alongside limeade and appletiser. The palate has red kola, brown sugar, malt, bitter dark chocolate and a little nutmeg too. The cask(s) are doing the heavy lifting here, but the mouthfeel is too thin, and the palate is too flat for us. It hasn’t quite worked, although there’s some decent flavours here.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Good price given the cask types and age.
24.182 - Macallan Distillery
Name: Upper-Crust Custard
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-PX hogshead
ABV: 62.9%
Age: 16
Price: N/A
The nose opens with all the classic sherry notes: prunes, raisins, cranberries, aniseed, gingerbread, and chocolate coins. There’s surprisingly little alcohol spice, considering it’s whopping 62.9% ABV. On the palate, bitter dark chocolate and crème brûlée lead into those familiar prunes, raisins, and cranberries from the nose. A hit of raw ginger spice dominates the medium-length finish. The mouthfeel is good, with a touch of texture. For us, it’s a 6.5—but for sherry bomb lovers, it’s probably a 7. It’s just a little too spicy.
Score: 6.5/10
It will no doubt be frustrating for fans of the distillery to see this exclusive to packs…
26.225 - Clynelish Distillery
Name: Varnishing a Wildcat
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill HTMC barrel
ABV: 60.8%
Age: 12
Price: £79.00
The nose has lemon peel, toffee, sour limeade, chalk, vanilla bean and a little stale sponge cake. There’s a little waxiness but it’s far in the background. There’s something slightly vegetal, cucumber perhaps, along with eucalyptus and brown toast. The palate has some mint, simple syrup, light stroopwaffle flavours, bitter oak and more cinnamon spice than expected. It’s fairly warm, with a punchy ABV, and some coffee revels as the palate develops. The finish is short, and overall we’re just not jiving with the HTMC finish here, it’s not quite worked for us.
Score: 6/10
Value: Not a bad price given Clynelish is considered a premium distillery.
46.152 - Glenlossie Distillery
Name: The Fruit Merchant
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: New American oak HTMC hogshead & 1st fill American oak ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 51.6%
Age: 16
Price: £90.00
The nose opens with milk bottle sweeties, vanilla essence, coconut water, candle wax, sour plums, synthetic sugar, red kola and red currants. The alcohol is in decent balance, not too spicy. The palate has more of the sweet, rich sherry coming through with brown sugar, caramel wafers, Big Red cinnamon chewing gum and a little ginger. The mouthfeel is alright, and the finish lingers with the taste of a hurricane cocktail from New Orleans, maraschino cherries included. It’s quite nice, we’re not sure which aromas and flavours are coming from each cask type but they work reasonably well together.
Score: 7/10
Value: You can get a comparable release from Cadenhead for £80.
55.79 - Royal Brackla Distillery
Name: Ham Jam
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-px hogshead
ABV: 59.0%
Age: 13
Price: £79.00
The nose has blackcurrant cordial, prune juice, a little black pepper, strawberry jam, a touch of liquorice and burnt toast. The palate has a reasonable mouthfeel with more sweetness coming through, the PX is really at the forefront with raisins, sultanas, cinnamon sugar and ginger puree. It’s much more pleasant on the palate, but really quite one-dimensional. It’s not bad, just not super exciting.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: The price is average compared to other bottlers; some are cheaper, others more expensive.
70.63 - Balblair Distillery
Name: Interdimensional Patisserie
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Highlands
Cask Type: 1st fill American Oak PX hogshead & new American oak medium toast barrique
ABV: 54.7%
Age: 16
Price: £85.00
The nose opens with Cadbury Fudge Fingers, treacle, vanilla extract, raisins, rhubarb, prunes, and marshmallows. There’s also a fair hit of peppery spice from the alcohol. On the palate, we’re getting ginger cream biscuits, Bassetts Fruit Salad sweets, caramel, and a hint of thyme. Cracked black pepper emerges on the medium finish, lingering alongside the sweeter notes. The mouthfeel is a little lacking, but there’s some pleasant flavours here to make up for it.
Score: 7/10
Value: One of the better priced bottles with a bit of age on it.
71.111 - Glenburgie Distillery
Name: Interdimensional Store Cupboard
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 57.4%
Age: 13
Price: £80.00
The nose opens with lots of blackcurrants, blueberries, alongside some fermented tea, kombucha, fudge cubes, runny honey and ginger snaps. It’s fairly cask forward, but as we continue to nose, it becomes quite well integrated and the alcohol balances out. The palate has caramel wafers, dark chocolate buttons, overly toasted marshmallows, ginger snap biscuits with a layer of chocolate and a bit of oak bitterness. The mouthfeel is decent and the finish lingers for a reasonable length, but there’s a fair whack of spice on the palate for us. It’s a decent sherry cask, better on the nose than the palate.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: A few quid less would have been appreciated.
73.173 - Aultmore Distillery
Name: Malt and Tonic
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 55.2%
Age: 13
Price: £69.00
The nose opens with sweet vanilla cream, a little coconut milk, light milk chocolate, malt biscuits, fizzy appletiser and something a little nutty, candied almonds perhaps. The palate has a decent mouthfeel, reasonably textured, and we’re finding more nutty chocolate, orange juice, brown sugar, a little mint leaf, quinine and digestive biscuits. There’s something a little chalky on the finish, but it does linger for a reasonable length. Not too much spice, but you can definitely get the alcohol towards the latter palate. A good bourbon cask, no complaints. We’re between a 6.5 and 7, we’ll err on the side of caution and go 6.5/10.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: A reasonable price considering the whisky’s age and the distillery.
78.70 - Ben Nevis Distillery
Name: Spring-back Serrano
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Dry
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 58.3%
Age: 10
Price: £60.00
The nose opens with custard cream biscuits, lemon balm, vanilla essence, fresh doughnuts, and simple caster sugar. This is possibly the least funky young Ben Nevis we’re ever had. The alcohol isn’t too overpowering either, although it’s definitely there. The palate has sandpaper, shortbread biscuits, grapefruit peel, chili spice, a little brown sugar and some ham stock cubes. It’s a lot warmer than the nose led us to believe, and there’s a drying finish which leaves more to be desired. Not overtly Ben Nevis, but not particularly great.
Score: 6/10
Value: A few pounds less would have been appreciated.
80.62 - Glen Spey Distillery
Name: Strawberry Sumac Scones
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill Spanish oak ex-oloroso hogshead & 1st fill American oak ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 58.1%
Age: 14
Price: £80.00
The nose opens with strawberry laces, rose petals, something slightly charred, raspberry, cured meat and crunchy bars. The nose has opened up over time, but become a bit more meaty, savoury. The palate has a decent mouthfeel, with black pepper crusted venison, macerated strawberries, lemon juice, raspberry coulis and demarera sugar. There’s a lot of sherry here, it’s not particularly balanced however it has some tasty notes coming through.
Score: 6/10
Value: Prices on Glen Spey releases had been going down over the last few releases, but now seem to be creeping up again.
95.109 - Auchroisk Distillery
Name: I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Highland
Cask Type: Refill Trinidadian rum barrel & New American oak HTMC barrel
ABV: 62.4%
Age: 14
Price: £75.00
The nose opens with candied ginger, caramel coated in chocolate, date paste, chocolate and coconut confectionary, and some fresh pineapple segments. The alcohol is definitely on show, but only when you get quite deep into the glass. The palate has lots of brown sugar sweetness, freshly juiced ginger root, cane sugar, with the rum maturation really taking centre stage. There’s a warmth here, but we think it melds quite well with the whisky - however it may be a bit much for some. The mouthfeel is decent and the finish sticks around for a medium length. It’s a whisky for the rum drinkers, we quite enjoy it but it could be challenging if you’re not used to the strength and flavours of that cask type.
Score: 7/10
Value: Good price given the cask types and age.
113.76 - Braes of Glenlivet (Braeval) Distillery
Name: Bubblegum Spore on an Earthen Floor
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 59.4%
Age: 15
Price: £90.00
The nose is fairly sulphury, meaty, with beef gravy, roasted nuts, jamon, with a little redcurrant jelly, red kola and ginger biscuits. There’s also some lemon scented furniture polish and light brown sugar. The palate opens with raspberry ripple ice cream, cinnamon sugar, toffee apple, light cured meat notes and strawberry syrup. The mouthfeel is decent, and finish has a reasonable length with dark brown sugar and cocoa powder. A reasonably well done sherry finish, we enjoyed the palate more than the nose.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Competitively priced against other bottlers.
121.115 - Arran Distillery
Name: Island Hopping
Flavour Profile: Young & Spritely
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 62.1%
Age: 9
Price: £55.00
The nose is quite perfumed, hessian cloth, lavender, Parma violets, a little sweet peppermint and a fair kick of peppery alcohol. Not the usual Arran character that we get, but we do get some lemon water and shortbread fingers. The palate has a good, viscous mouthfeel, with malt loaf, grapefruit peel, cereals, hazelnut chocolate spread and oak spice. The ABV is lesser on the palate, but there’s still a peppery sensation that rides through most of the latter palate. It’s a little bitter in places, and a bit unbalanced for us. A little disappointing as we quite like Arran, perhaps a bit longer in the cask would have lifted this up for us.
Score: 6/10
Value: The price is in line with other releases of Arran from the society.
163.3 - Isle of Harris Distillery
Name: Hay-Smoked Duck Breast
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 58.0%
Age: 6
Price: £85.00
The nose opens like a first aid box, lots of bandages and antiseptic, along with grilled lemon, hay bales, black pepper and something a little coastal too, a bit of sea spray and fish oil. The palate has lemon drizzle cake, earthy smoke, tobacco, wet cardboard, simple syrup and antiseptic cream. We’ll be honest, the dram has some good qualities but it’s just not for us. The mouthfeel is nice but the alcohol is quite punchy. Some may enjoy this more, but for us it’s a 6/10.
Score: 6/10
Value: The same price as the .1, which wasn’t bad for the distillery.
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