We're back with the Scotch Malt Whisky Society August 2024 outturn review. This months preview featured 32 new bottlings, including a new vaults collection. Another big outturn, with a few hidden gems for us.
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.
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...
6.75 - Macduff Distillery
Name: La Belle Époque
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 54.6%
Age: 15
Price: £83.00
The nose is fairly earthy nose, we got a touch of cumin right off, but we’re mostly getting oak spice, lemon bon bons, a little white grape and peach. The palate has a burst of fruit and citrus up front, but moves quickly into a bitter oak flavour and a kick of chili heat. We’re also getting some chocolate orange, pastry crust and melon balls. The mouthfeel is good but it’s a bit spicy in places. Still, a reasonable dram.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Cheaper than similarly aged Macduffs that have come out this year.
10.265 - Bunnahabhain Distillery
Name: On the beach at night
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 57.7%
Age: 10
Price: £75.00
The nose has a lovely sweet smoky vanilla profile, very mellow for such a punchy spirit. We’re also finding light citrus and tarry ropes. There’s a little bit of antiseptic too. The palate has a well balanced profile, with the alcohol backing up a real nuttiness, toasted brioche buns, runny honey, candied smoked almonds, and sweet vanilla. There’s an underlying smoke here which has been mellowed more than expected for the age. Not your stereotypical Stoisha, it’s much more mellow and refined. It tastes a bit older, we’re in the 14-16 year old range. Quite delicious, but not for the peat heads.
Score: 8/10
Value: This is another release where prices seem to be coming down slightly.
12.83 - Benriach Distillery
Name: An enthralling experience
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 57.5%
Age: 15
Price: £95.00
The nose is fairly sulphuric up front, struck match, burnt rubber, but with lots of red berries behind this. Strawberry jam, orange marmalade, a little raspberry too. The palate mirrors the nose in terms of sulphur, it’s got a fairly toasted, burnt quality to it, and it’s fairly alcoholic to boot. There’s bitter melon, charred oak and warm cinnamon spice beyond this. It’s a bit unbalanced, hot, sulphury and really not that pleasant for our palates.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: Personally, we can’t but think £85 would be a fairer price.
12.84 - Benriach Distillery
Name: 1 character-building experience
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: Refill ex-toasted French oak barrique
ABV: 59.8%
Age: 15
Price: £90.00
The nose opens with butter biscuits, honeycomb, vanilla, we’re surprised this has seen the inside of a sherry cask. Going back, we’re finding dark chocolate, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s more on the spicy, earthy sherry side of whiskies. The palate has lots of upfront ginger, brown sugar, flamed orange peel, bitter oak and some peanuts in the background. It’s pretty hot, relatively unbalanced and a bit challenging on palate. Not for us.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: Same as above, £85 seems fairer.
18.62 - Inchgower Distillery
Name: It's raining smile emojis
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon hogshead
ABV: 54.3%
Age: 15
Price: £79.00
The nose opens with dusty wardrobes, a little pear juice, it’s a bit musty with a kick of alcohol behind it. There’s also something like red fruit, a touch of strawberry perhaps, alongside a hint of pineapple, but it’s mostly oak and must. The palate has a thinner mouthfeel than we’d like, with flavours of red apples, berry compote, a little shortbread dusted in sugar and lemon peel. It’s fine, nothing to write home about.
Score: 6/10
Value: 15yo and in sherry, we’re not going to complain.
28.101 - Tullibardine Distillery
Name: Desert oasis dram
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Dry
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 60.6%
Age: 11
Price: £68.50
The nose has stripped wood, uncooked dough, melon, and the smallest hint of lemon. It’s a restrained nose, we’re not finding too much else. The palate is fairly one dimensional, a little lemon, a little pear skin, some barley sugars and a whack of ethanol spice. The mouthfeel is fine, and the finish has a decent length, with cracked black pepper and a little wax too.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: A few pounds cheaper would have been nice.
35.394 - Glen Moray Distillery
Name: A sprinkle-laden dream
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 55.9%
Age: 10
Price: £50.00
The nose opens with a little candied ginger, plum, vanilla frosting, some oak spice and a bit of alcohol bite, although not too much. There’s also some strawberry laces, tangerine and a little melon too. It’s a fairly tight nose, but pleasant nonetheless. The palate has a very good, silky mouthfeel, moving into vanilla sponge cake, granulated sugar, ginger spice, a little fudge and some chocolate pieces too. The finish is reasonably long, although it does finish a bit hot. Not overly complex, but pretty tasty and has the hallmarks of a good dram.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: It’s nice to see some whisky at the £50 price point.
39.291 - Linkwood Distillery
Name: Panko's leather satchel
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Dry
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 62.1%
Age: 12
Price: £69.00
The nose has green grass, green apple, fresh leather handbags, and lots of musty alcohol. It’s a fairly restrained, there’s not much going on here. The palate has a decent mouthfeel, a little lime zest, pickling spice, more alcohol punch and some vanilla in the background. It’s very dry, leaving a fairly bitter and astringent note in our mouths. Much better young bourbon cask Linkwoods around, we’d avoid this one.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: It's not a bad price. It's just a shame the whisky falls short.
41.174 - Dailuaine Distillery
Name: Candied leather
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-Pedro Ximinez butt
ABV: 57.5%
Age: 15
Price: £92.00
The nose has irn bru, blackcurrant, cinnamon Danish pastry, cherry compote, a little rancio and sherry vinegar. There’s a reasonable alchohol balance too. The palate has a good balance of spice and sweetness, although the spice amplifies on the finish. We’re finding flavours of big red cinnamon chewing gum, nutmeg, a little maraschino cherry and kirsch. It’s a good sherry cask, we appreciate the full maturation in sherry butts, but it’s a little hot and a punchy.. would potentially have been different without the fresh sherry finish, however maybe the original cask was dead?
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Another one we’d have like to have seen cheaper.
42.87 - Tobermory (Ledaig) Distillery
Name: A smouldering treat of pickles and peat
Flavour Profile: Peated
Region: Highland
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead
ABV: 55.9%
Age: 18
Price: £105.00
The nose has a combination of dill pickles, smoked mackerel, bacon fat, chippy grease, menthol vapour rub, and some roasted peanuts too. The palate has a nice mouthfeel, tarry ropes, vanilla sponge, engine oil, asphalt, burnt oak and bitter melon. There’s a lovely sweetness on top of all this, giving reprieve to the heavy smoky flavours. The mouthfeel is good, the alcohol is in reasonable balance, it’s a good quality whisky but for some reason it just doesn’t excite us or click with us. Either way, quality wise, it’s a 7/10.
Score: 7/10
Value: Not bad given the age of the whisky.
48.171 - Balmenach Distillery
Name: Berrylicious
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-American oak barrique
ABV: 52.9%
Age: 15
Price: £83.00
The nose has a fairly rich oak aroma, juxtaposed with gooseberries, sour candies, and a hint of tomato ketchup. The alcohol feels in good balance, and there’s some cherry jam and currants appearing. The palate is a blast of berry juice.. Ribena, vimto, it’s super fruity, along with a toffee and vanilla backbone. It’s also really well balanced and has a good mouthfeel. This is an unexpected standout, cracking whisky. An easy 8, bordering on 8.5/10.
Score: 8/10
Value: Feels a touch pricey, but we bought a bottle
53.463 - Caol Ila Distillery
Name: Victory at Trafalgar
Flavour Profile: Peated
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-American oak PX hogshead
ABV: 55.7%
Age: 15
Price: £110.00
The nose has irn bru, copper coins, mackerel skin, cigarette smoke, freshly cut ginger, and a touch of menthol too. The alcohol is in relatively good balance, it’s present but not overwhelming. The palate has a good mouthfeel, with a fair bit of citrus, orange, lemon coming through, alongside cola cubes, prunes and cherryade, with a bit of singed wood and iodine in the background reminding us that this is a Caol Ila. It’s fairly sherry forward, the peat is in the background here but becomes more apparent on the finish. Decent sherried Caol Ila.
Score: 7/10
Value: We know it’s got a little age on it, but the price feels rough.
58.56 - Strathisla Distillery
Name: Harvest hoedown
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 57.4%
Age: 16
Price: £95.00
The nose has a soft, floral quality to it, alongside some peach, tangerine and lemon. It’s fairly well balanced, but there’s a touch of spice if you go too deep into the glass. We’re also finding some hay, butter biscuit and a smidge of honey. The palate is fairly citrus forward with that tangerine and lemon appearing straight away, then it moves into more of a biscuity, honey flavour. There’s also blackberries too, but it’s getting fairly hot as the palate develops, leaving is with a peppery tingle on the tongue. A reasonable bourbon cask, some interesting notes but a few flaws in our option.
Score: 6/10
Value: A few pounds cheaper would have been nice.
59.81 - Teaninich Distillery
Name: Molasses gummy bears
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-US oak STR barrique
ABV: 53.0%
Age: 16
Price: £88.00
The nose has rich wine aromas, leather, dirt, coffee, dark chocolate, not a lot of sugar in sight. There’s some prune and raisin fudge too. The palate has a good mouthfeel, and continues along with those richer, deeper wine aromas, walnuts, bitter cocoa, stewed cherries, a little brandy, molasses and warm cinnamon spice. It’s got great balance though, the alcohol is in no way overpowering and just leaves a pleasant warmth on the palate. Good quality STR finish, a surprise for us.
Score: 7/10
Value: We suppose it’s not bad given it’s got a bit of age and sherry.
63.105 - Glentauchers Distillery
Name: Dangerously gorgeous
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 53.8%
Age: 20
Price: £112.00
The nose is fairly floral up front, lots of fresh flowers and grass, lavender, slightly herbal too with a little mint and thyme too. The alcohol is in good balance, and there’s some soft fruits behind all of those floral aromas. The palate opens with more of a fruit-forward flavour, apples baked in pastry, synthetic floral air fresheners, a little red berry compote too. It’s not overly sweet, but the mouthfeel is a little thin and the palate just drops right off, no finish in sight. There’s been much better 20yo bourbon 63’s, this is a little mediocre.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Not bad at all given its 20 years old.
64.148 - Mannochmore Distillery
Name: Apple wax
Flavour Profile: Old & Dignified
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 41.7%
Age: 26
Price: £199.50
The nose opens with wood, fairly subtle in aroma, candle wax, flat peaches, apple skin, and a little icing sugar. It’s restrained, with a good balance of alcohol but quite difficult to get into the aromas. The palate is very apple-y up front, a mixture of fresh red apple flesh and freshly squeezed apple juice. Behind this sits a fair amount of oak, lightly roasted coffee, and a little caramel. The mouthfeel is decent, especially at the lower ABV, although it’s just very light. A breakfast dram, you could finish the bottle without noticing. Fairly one dimensional, but pleasant.
Score: 7/10
Value: Pricey, but that’s to be expected given the age.
66.253 - Ardmore Distillery
Name: Alsatian plum eau de vie fum
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Highland
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 54.2%
Age: 12
Price: £74.00
The nose is very farmyardy, peat bog on fire, fresh earth, freshly churned butter, sweet vanilla, a little butterscotch and cream too. Very pleasant and soft nose with a good alcohol balance. The palate follows suit, with more of that farmyardy peat, sugar syrup, honeycomb, burnt toffee and a little bitter oak. Honeycomb and barley sugars also appear. Saying that, it’s not overly sweet, and we’d like a bit more to balance that earthy highland peat. The alcohol is in good balance, but it’s a bit spicy right at the end of the palate.
Score: 7/10
Value: Not bad for peat in this day and age.
70.52 - Balblair Distillery
Name: Cloudberries in Fläm
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 57.9%
Age: 14
Price: £83.00
The nose is fairly bitter, burnt wood.. it’s a bit sulphurous and eggy. Not what we were expecting from a 2nd fill bourbon cask. The nose is fairly rough, we’re not getting much else. The palate has a decent mouthfeel and bypasses some of that sulphur, giving us toasted brioche, honey nut cheerios, bitter chocolate and a little black currant. It’s fairly hot, and the nose just isn’t pleasant for us.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: Shave a few pounds of this and it would have been a good deal.
71.106 - Glenburgie Distillery
Name: Bellinis and bouquets
Flavour Profile: Juicy, Oak & Vanilla
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 60.6%
Age: 11
Price: £64.00
The nose opens with some hard toffee sweets, malt loaf, cocoa beans, and warm oak spice.. fairly warm and spicy. Behind this there’s a bit of blackcurrant cordial and ethanol, alongside lemon peel and grated ginger. The palate has a decent texture, white chocolate mice, caramel, pickling spice and black peppercorns. It’s bloody hot, made us cough a little on the first sip, and it’s leaving quite a burn in the throat. It’s super sweet though, lots of vanilla cream. A few drops of water doesn’t change the nose much, nor does it really fix the burn on the palate.
Score: 6/10
Value: We’d have like to have seen this sub £60.
80.54 - Glen Spey Distillery
Name: Ruby hues day
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-Australian Shiraz barrique
ABV: 60.4%
Age: 11
Price: £59.00
This is a wine bomb, lots of meat up front, tannins, red grape, black pepper, the cask has taken over any remnants of spirit character. There’s also a bit of red kola and leather on the nose as well. The palate has a mediocre mouthfeel, but punches you in the face with red fruits, oak and pepper, with a bit of fresh earth too. There’s a herbal, rosemary like flavour on the finish which lingers for a medium length. It’s a little dry and tannic, not a lot of sweetness after the initial part of the palate. It’s also a bit warm, too alcoholic for us. It reminds us of a STR cask, so if you’re into those big, bold, aggressive wine finishes then you may like this a little more than us.
Score: 6/10
Value: Good price all things considered.
82.48 - Glencadam Distillery
Name: The big yellow marshmallow
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 62.8%
Age: 11
Price: £68.00
The nose is fairly punchy, alcohol wise, but we’re getting some blackcurrant, lemon juice, sugar syrup and ginger biscuits. There’s also a little malt in the background too. The palate is fairly uninspiring, lots of warm alcohol, blackcurrant cordial, Chilis, sawn wood, and some nutmeg. It’s way too hot, unbalanced and nothing we’d want to revisit.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: Again, we’d have like to have seen this sub £60.
85.74 - Glen Elgin Distillery
Name: Nutmeg marmalade
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 59.4%
Age: 16
Price: £97.00
The nose opens with tomato ketchup, red kola, red currants, tizer, a little bit of brown sugar but more so a (very) warm cinnamon bite. It’s a touch restrained overall. The palate opens with lots of light brown sugar sweetness, candied ginger, red kola, red currants and a bit of cherry too. The mouthfeel is fine but it’s a bit too hot, and we’re left with too much spice in the mouth. Not our favourite sherry cask this outturn, a bit too hot and synthetic for us.
Score: 6/10
Value: A few pounds off would have been nice, but it’s not a terrible price.
93.208 - Glen Scotia Distillery
Name: A transcendent experience
Flavour Profile: Young & Spritely
Region: Campbeltown
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 58.8%
Age: 9
Price: £65.50
The nose opens with some uncooked dough, ethanol, a little simple syrup, candyfloss, but we’re not getting too much at all. There’s no discernible Glen Scotia character for us. The palate has a good mouthfeel, and gives us fondant icing with a fair alcohol bite. It’s a little astringent, not too much going on but we’re getting creme patisserie, nail varnish remover and a hint of lemon. It’s probably one of our least favourite Glen Scotias in a while.
Score: 6/10
Value: Good price for a release from this distillery.
95.99 - Auchroisk Distillery
Name: Waxed cedar gloves
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 60.3%
Age: 11
Price: £64.50
The nose is fairly syrupy, irn bru, charred oak, strawberry bon bons, black pepper spice, some walnut and chocolate too. There’s also a bit of ginger and burnt toast. The palate has a reasonable mouthfeel, but smacks you with alcohol, more of those charred, burnt flavours, with a tinge of sweet red fruits on top. It’s fairly bitter and acrid, but there’s a touch of Chinese sweet and sour sauce in the background. An aggressive sherry finish on what we assume was an uninspiring bourbon cask. Too much spice for is.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: We’d have like to have seen this sub £60.
115.29 - Knockdhu Distillery
Name: Visions of the Basque Country
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 47.4%
Age: 32
Price: £495.00
The nose is fairly light, but gives us that old whisky aroma.. Oaked but not overly woody. Behind this sits some diluted apple juice, icing sugar, and lemon and lime peel. The alcohol is fairly well balanced as well. The palate opens with a pretty silky mouthfeel, creamy, with more fresh apples, sherbet, lime juice, floral fabric softener and dusting of icing sugar. It’s super pleasant, fairly well balanced and very drinkable. Not super complex, but not every dram needs to be.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: Like most Vault collections this is massively overpriced
122.65 - Loch Lomond (Croftengea) Distillery
Name: Dance across the beach
Flavour Profile: Oily & Coastal
Region: Highland
Cask Type: Refill ex-#4 char barrel
ABV: 61.6%
Age: 11
Price: £70.00
The nose opens with salty sea air, vanilla fondant, turned earth, a little white pepper, lemon peel, kiwis fruit too. The palate has a good mouthfeel, a little too hot in places but there’s fondant icing, more kiwi, wafer cones, brown sugar. The alcohol is a bit too punchy for us bit it’s got a lovely balance of flavour and the essence of an oily and coastal whisy.
Score: 7/10
Value: Pretty pricey for an 11yo.
B4.6 - FEW Distillery
Name: Root beer moat
Flavour Profile: Other Spirit
Region: Chicago
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-#3 char 30 US gallon barrel
ABV: 64.8%
Age: 5
Price: £75.50
The nose has lots of spicy cinnamon up front, menthol toothpaste, red berries, toasted oak, a little creamy vanilla too. The palate brings forward fudge, chocolate spread, wafer cones, freshly cooked waffles drizzled in caramel sauce. It’s not super hot, there’s a good balance of alcohol and flavour here. We were a little surprised with this, liked it more than we expected.
Score: 7/10
Value: Not a bad price for cask strength Bourbon.
B5.16 - George Dickel Distillery
Name: Tipsy Texas tea
Flavour Profile: Other Spirit
Region: Tennessee
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-charred barrel
ABV: 64.6%
Age: 7
Price: £74.00
The nose has lots of warm toffee and caramel sauce, clay bricks, cinnamon chewing gum, cardamom spice too. There’s burnt staves and a little charred beef too. The palate is a lot warmer, that ginger and chili heat really starting to show through, leaving a burn in the mouth. We’re getting some brown sugar sweetness, but it’s just overwhelmed with toasted wood and alcohol burn.
Score: 6/10
Value: Again, not a bad price for cask strength Bourbon.
GN1.16 - Glasgow Distillery
Name: A Glaswegian in the French Carribean
Flavour Profile: Other Spirit
Region: Glasgow
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-Tennessee whiskey barrel
ABV: 50.3%
Age: 1
Price: £58.00
The nose is fairly juniper forward, menthol, grapefruit peel, orange blossom too. The palate has a good mouthfeel, a bit of coriander bitterness appearing, less orange now, more lemon. It’s a good gin, although we prefer the GN3.
Score: 7/10
Value: Society gin feels overpriced and we’re not sure why people wouldn’t just buy an alternative.
GN3.26 - Borders Distillery
Name: Candy in the sun
Flavour Profile: Other Spirit
Region: Hawick
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 47.7%
Age: 4
Price: £55.00
The nose has melon, lime, coriander seed, fairly subtle yet pleasant nose. The palate has a good mouthfeel, upfront sugary sweetness and juniper in the background. Good quality, well balanced, quaffable gin. We’re not gin conneseiurs but this is solid. 7.5/10 in gin terms.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: Again, this is overpriced and there are cheaper alternatives that are just as good or better.
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