We're back with the Scotch Malt Whisky Societies January 2025 outturn review. This month has 26 new whiskies, double the number compared with January of last year. This month sees a fairly exciting roster of uncommon distilleries, including the societies first Nc'nean, alongside a new Creator Collection featuring an older Bowmore, Caperdonich, Glen Moray and Mortlach.
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...
3.357 - Bowmore Distillery
Name: Home is Where the Hearth is
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 55.7%
Age: 20
Price: £195.00
The nose opens with a very floral aroma, a bit of wood spice and lovely light peat smoke. There also some toffee and ash, it’s a real pleasure to nose. There’s something a bit medicinal here too, alongside lemon scented hand wipes. The palate has a light smoke appearing upfront, some ash, tar and rubber gloves. There’s a sweet vanilla that sits in the background. It’s got a reasonable mouthfeel, maybe a touch thinner than we’d like but there’s some texture here. There also dark chocolate and dirt as we go back to it. The alcohol is well balanced and the finish lingers with sweet peat. Pleasant, balanced, drinkable. We’d like to drink this on a fresh plate.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: Priced competitively against other indie bottlers releases.
6.78 - Macduff Distillery
Name: Tis Not For You To Hear What I Can Speak
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-PX hogshead
ABV: 57.0%
Age: 16
Price: £96.00
The nose has some chocolate orange, Irn Bru, Jamaican ginger cake.. there’s a bit of rum-iness coming through too. Definite sherry influence, more than expected. Fairly balanced alcohol too. The palate has a bit of ginger and clove up front, cinnamon too, with sweeter candied ginger and brown sugar as the palate develops. There’s also chocolate, orange oil and a bit of black pepper spice riding through on the finish. A lovely nose but the overwhelming spice on the palate lets it down.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: A few quid cheaper would have been appreciated.
8.49 - Tamdhu Distillery
Name: Tumble into Toffee
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-PX butt
ABV: 59.2%
Age: 8
Price: £60.00
The nose is fairly wet, mouldy, sour plum, apple cider vinegar, blackcurrant cordial, chili pepper and red wine left open a bit too long. It’s a bit… off. The palate has a decent mouthfeel, fairly silky and thick with more blackcurrant, cherry jam, red currant and some kola cubes. Unfortunately there’s a bit of a butyric acid, baby sick note ontop of this for us. It’s got a decent alcohol integration and a medium length finish, but there’s just a sour, off note for us that ruins the dram. It’s got a better palate than nose though.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: The price is in line with other releases of Tamdhu from the society.
10.272 - Bunnahabhain Distillery
Name: Jereztering Home
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-oloroso hogshead
ABV: 61.0%
Age: 11
Price: £85.00
The nose opens with clear sherry influence, toasted nuts, warm ginger, some rum-soaked sponge, toffee, treacle, a hint of salt, salted caramel for us. Good alcohol integration, well balanced. The palate has a reasonable mouthfeel, with lots of toffee and chocolate coming through. There’s also warm caramel, maldon sea salt flakes, chocolate cake and something a bit umami in the background. It’s a good sherry cask no doubt, nothing out of the ordinary. Warming, sweet, and pleasant.
Score: 7/10
Value: We can’t help but compare this to Signatories 100 proof range, and not in a favourable light.
10.279 - Bunnahabhain Distillery
Name: Powerful Perusal Potions
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Islay
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-PX barrique
ABV: 62.6%
Age: 11
Price: £85.00
The nose opens with pickled walnuts, dark cocoa beans, something slightly charred, alongside cherry jam and red currants. A more vibrant and fresh nose than expected. The palate has a bit of sherry vinegar to start, moving into brown sugar, blackcurrant cordial, but it has a really pleasing palate that envelops the mouth. Saying that, there’s a bit of bitterness, astringency which really comes though in the finish. Damn, so close, without the finish this would have been a hit. For us, it’s a 6.5/10.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Like todays other 10, we can’t help but compare this to Signatories 100 proof range, and not in a favourable light.
11.52 - Tomatin Distillery
Name: A Pyramid of Peach, Pear and Apricot Pastries
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 61.8%
Age: 9
Price: £55.00
The nose brings out light aromas of honey, a little pine, peach, apricot, very fruity, a little caster sugar and shortbread finger too. There’s a nice French pastry note here as well. The alcohol is a touch peppery, but there’s enough going on to combat this. The palate has a good mouthfeel and bursts open with more artificial peach flavouring, creamy vanilla, crisp green apple and a bit of orange peel to. This is great quality, the mouthfeel and punch of flavour is a triumph, it’s warm in places but we’ll forgive that. Great quality bourbon cask, we bought a bottle.
Score: 8/10
Value: Not a bad price all things considered.
13.108 - Dalmore Distillery
Name: Classic Old-School Sherry Bodega Funk
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 2nd fill STR ex-PX barrique
ABV: 63.5%
Age: 11
Price: £85.00
The nose brings forward gingerbread, cocoa beans, espresso, toffee crisp bars, cough sweets, alongside something a bit cold and menthol-y. It’s fairly tight on the nose, but lots of sherry influence. The palate has more of the same, ginger, cocoa, oranges, chocolate, quite basic. It’s fine, there’s nothing offensive but even less standout. The cask is carrying the spirit here, it’s just forgettable.
Score: 6/10
Value: Feels a little overpriced given the age.
28.108 - Tullibardine Distillery
Name: Cranberry Reverie
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 60.9%
Age: 12
Price: £74.00
The nose has cranberry juice, currants, a little cocoa, some orchard fruit and light toffee... toffee pennys perhaps. It’s also fairly floral, with soft fruits and some vanilla in the background too. The palate has a good mouthfeel, but has a bit too much upfront spice. There’s more vanilla, chocolate orange, light ginger and a bit of brown sugar too. There’s just too much alcohol for us, not as much as other younger bourbon casks but a bit unbalanced overall.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: It's a couple of pounds more expensive than we would have liked to have paid.
35.388 - Glen Moray Distillery
Name: Snug and Toasty
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 2nd fill ex-PX hogshead
ABV: 53.9%
Age: 32
Price: £325.00
The nose has a real caramel, toffee, rich brown sugar, chocolate, orange, coco pops, raisins, dates, molasses sweetness to it, very rich and syrupy. Quite a full on nose too, lots of aromas jumping out of the glass. The palate has a nice brown sugar sweetness upfront but there’s a bitterness that’s riding through, bitter chocolate, coffee grounds, gingersnaps, vanilla syrup and a bit of chili heat in the background. It’s a very tasty dram but there’s parts here which feel a bit unbalanced. We’d have a dram but wouldn’t spring for a bottle.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Expensive, but competitively priced given the age.
38.43 - Caperdonich Distillery
Name: Bar Room Buzz
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-PX barrique
ABV: 49.6%
Age: 32
Price: £395.00
The nose opens with classic Caperdonich aromas of honey, apples, pears, and boiled sweets, complemented by a raisin and plum kick. There are also hints of brown sugar, prunes, and vanilla essence. On the palate, the mouthfeel is thinner than expected, with a slightly sour plum note leading into softer vanilla, apple strudel, and lemon juice. The finish is medium in length, featuring notes of coffee Revels and a touch of milk chocolate. The sherry influence sits atop the softer Caperdonich spirit, overpowering some of the older, delicate spirit character.
Score: 7/10
Value: Not exactly a bargain, but significantly cheaper than the last couple of releases at this age.
50.119 - Bladnoch Distillery
Name: Gallovidian Rhapsody
Flavour Profile: Old & Dignified
Region: Lowland
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 53.6%
Age: 34
Price: £425.00
The nose is a confectionary shop, lots of freshly baked pastries and icing sugar, vanilla, mushy apple, fresh cream, light, fruity, floral Lowland whisky. There’s a bit of malt and caramel wafer in the background too. The palate has a soft, light, well balanced profile, with peaches, nectarines, apples... it's a fruit bowl with a tinge of subtle oak. It’s a dram that tastes the age, relatively good mouthfeel and good length finish too. Dangerously drinkable (for the price), it’s a cracking dram. Old whisky done well, it’s just been left alone.
Score: 8.5/10
Value: Another older bottling where the price is coming down.
60.46 - Aberfeldy Distillery
Name: Forest Florist
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon hogshead
ABV: 58.0%
Age: 11
Price: £64.00
The nose opens with fresh lemon zest, brown sugar bruleed on top of French custard, vanilla, sponge cake, a little malt, a little fudge too. The palate is a bit warm upfront, with green apple, black tea, vanilla bon bons and caster sugar. The mouthfeel is fine, nothing to write home about, and the finish has a bit too much spice. Another underwhelming bourbon cask, it’s drinkable.
Score: 6/10
Value: Not a bad price all things considered.
64.153 - Mannochmore Distillery
Name: Very Satisfying
Flavour Profile: Juicy Oak & Vanilla
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill htmc hogshead
ABV: 54.2%
Age: 16
Price: £85.00
The nose has soft gingerbread, slightly undercooked. There’s cookie dough, marshmallow and warm Danish pastries. There’s also some toasted bread sprinkled with caster sugar. It’s a warm sweetness, toasty, very pleasant. The palate has more of that toasted bread, brown sugar, carrot cake, toffee apples and a bit of black pepper on the finish. It’s quite viscous, good mouthfeel, a bit of lemon sherbet, with a slightly too warm finish. Saying that, this is pretty solid, the HTMC has really lifted this and it’s quite tasty.
Score: 7/10
Value: Not bad given the age and the finish.
70.62 - Balblair Distillery
Name: Honey and Dragon Fruit Sangria
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 60.8%
Age: 10
Price: £64.00
The nose has maraschino cherries, strawberry laces, light brown sugar… we could be convinced this spent some time in a sherry cask. We’re also getting gingerbread, orange peel and malt. The palate has a good texture, with chocolate orange, ginger cake, digestive biscuits, quite good integration, only a little spice on the back palate. The mouthfeel is also pretty good. Surprising for us, but we really enjoyed this. Good quality 10 year old bourbon cask.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: A little more expensive than we'd like for a 10 year old.
73.174 - Aultmore Distillery
Name: A Real Taste of Summer
Flavour Profile: Light & Delicate
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 55.1%
Age: 13
Price: £69.00
The nose opens with sweet caster sugar, vanilla fudge, melon balls, and a whack of white pepper. There’s also some lime cordial and marshmallow. The spice is making this a bit hard to get into, but if you bring it further back from your nose then it’s fairly pleasant. The palate has a fair bit of upfront citrus, limoncello, fondant icing, caster sugar, and a bit of hazelnut praline. It’s got a fair alcohol bite, but a reasonable mouthfeel and the finish has a medium length with lime juice and sugar syrup, maybe a bit of mint too. It’s a decent bourbon cask, bit hot in places but relatively drinkable.
Score: 6/10
Value: Decent price for the age and the distillery.
76.154 - Mortlach Distillery
Name: Shore Reflections
Flavour Profile: Old & Dignified
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: Refill ex-sherry hogshead
ABV: 52.7%
Age: 30
Price: £425.00
The nose opens with copper, irn bru, freshly grated ginger, a little red currant, toffee and agave too. It’s a balanced nose, soft sherry aromas and not too punchy alcohol, however it doesn’t nose as 30 years old. The palate has lightly roasted coffee, cured meats, blackberry pie, kirsch, tobacco, ginger juice and freshly cracked black peppercorns. The mouthfeel is decent, but the palate drops off quite quickly, moving into a raw spice that we’re not enamoured with. It’s got a great nose, but the palate is a letdown, too much spice for something of this age… but it’s still a pretty good dram.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: Cheaper than the last release. Great to see prices on older bottles come down.
88.31 - Speyburn Distillery
Name: Supper Sipper
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Speyside
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-PX hogshead
ABV: 56.1%
Age: 15
Price: £95.00
The nose is light, floral, soft oak, peach, green apple, a little vanilla in the background, very pleasant, well balanced alcohol too. Not nearly as much sherry influence as we expected. The palate has caramac bars, vanilla ice cream, cherry jam, coconut shavings, red currant jelly and some chocolate coated raisins. There’s a nice alcohol balance here with some rosewater and raspberry on the good length finish. This is a pretty good dram, well integrated, good balance, touch simple but sometimes that’s fine.
Score: 7/10
Value: Definitely feels like this should be a few pounds cheaper.
93.217 - Glen Scotia Distillery
Name: Seashore Crisps
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Campbeltown
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 59.2%
Age: 10
Price: £65.50
Salty minerality on the nose, with highlights of sweet vanilla, fondant, wet rope, light peat, pickling spice, charred coconut, maybe some singed twigs too. The palate has a good mouthfeel, vanilla ice cream, wet pebbles, lots of icing sugar moving into more smoke, fresh sand, charred oak, kippers and a little freshly squeezed lemon. There’s a tad too much spice appearing on the palate for us, lots of black pepper, but there’s a solid Glen Scotia backbone here that makes us smile. Great quality whisky.
Score: 7.5/10
Value: In line with other society Glen Scotia releases.
94.50 - Fettercairn Distillery
Name: Hodgepodge
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Highland
Cask Type: htmc new oak barrel
ABV: 60.2%
Age: 12
Price: £69.50
The nose has a bit of a meatiness to it, charred oak, menthol, dry leaves, a little lime zest, tea leaves and lemon scented air freshener. There’s also a fair whack of alcohol the further you get into the glass. The palate has a good mouthfeel but a fair bit of spice upfront, ginger biscuits, warming rum flavours, hot cocoa, star anise and some barley sugars in the background. It’s quite an aggressive dram, very cask driven, quite unbalanced and astringent. Cough medicine.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: A few quid cheaper would have been appreciated.
112.129 - Loch Lomond (Inchmurrin) Distillery
Name: Breakfast Cocktail
Flavour Profile: Sweet, Fruity & Mellow
Region: Highland
Cask Type: hybrid oak hogshead
ABV: 54.5%
Age: 15
Price: £84.00
The nose has a bit of cheese and onion up front, maybe in pastie form. There’s also chopped strawberries, a bit of a mushroomy funk, umami-forward, but some softer peach and nectarine too. This nose is all over the place, different each time you go back. The palate is very orange forward, some apricot, more funk, wet leaves, orange soda, and some strawberry syrup right in the background. The mouthfeel is good and the finish lingers for a decent length with a bit of candied ginger and red currant. Some people will enjoy this, we think this is a bit disjointed, too many things going on at the same time, quite discordant.
Score: 6/10
Value: It feels like Loch Lomond single casks should be cheaper.
121.111 - Arran Distillery
Name: Tempura Tincture
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Dry
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 62.1%
Age: 8
Price: £57.00
The nose has quite a lot of wood up front, eucalyptus, menthol, a bit of earth, some ginger too. Fairly dry, but interesting with a bit of acidity in the background. The palate brings forward dry haybales, a little honey, ginger snaps, a bit of cinder toffee and a fair whack of spice. It’s very drying (as the flavour profile would suggest), but there some lemon verbena, white pepper spice and a bit of nutmeg too. It’s just not the profile of Arran that we enjoy, something that others may prefer but there have been much better Arran bottlings recently.
Score: 6/10
Value: The price is in line with other releases of Arran from the society.
138.28 - Nantou Distillery
Name: Thrills, Gills and Skills with Grills
Flavour Profile: Lightly Peated
Region: Taiwan
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 57.6%
Age: 5
Price: £79.50
The nose has a perfumed sweetness, fabric softener, lemon oils, soft peaches, only the faintest hint of peat on the nose. There’s also star anise and some herb blends. It’s got a bit of rum-style influence, but falls back into smoked caramel and charred oak. The palate has a thinner than expected mouthfeel, with ginger juice, caramel, burnt toffee and molasses. Lots more cask influence than expected, the mouthfeel is decent and the finish lingers for a good length, but it’s a bit too warm and it feels a touch cask-forward, unbalanced for us.
Score: 6/10
Value: Not a bad price for a single casks from the distillery.
145.2 - Smögen Distillery
Name: Liquid Medicinal Smoke
Flavour Profile: Heavily Peated
Region: Sweden
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 66.5%
Age: 10
Price: £149.00
The nose opens with dry wood, brine, sawdust, fish oils, antiseptic, rubber gloves, car tyres, and sour plums. The palate has a reasonable mouthfeel, with fresh lemon, dark cocoa, charred wood, fresh mint leaves, a little honeycomb sweetness and bitter oak riding through most of the palate. It’s fairly bitter and astringent but there’s a nice chocolately note here too. Overall it’s not for us, just too bitter and rough on the palate.
Score: 5.5/10
Value: Not cheap, but single casks from the distillery aren't usually bargains.
149.11 - Ardnamurchan Distillery
Name: Exotic Sweetness
Flavour Profile: Spicy & Sweet
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel
ABV: 63.0%
Age: 8
Price: £79.00
The nose has vanilla fondant, lemon oils, salted caramel, liquorice, brandy snaps, with lighter fudge and toffee aromas in the background. It’s fairly esthery, light, but also a bit punchy with alcohol. The palate has a good texture, lots of upfront citrus, lemon peel, fruit roll ups, artificial sweetness but also a bit of a bitterness in the background. There’s also some salinity here, light nuttiness and cherries in syrup. A decent dram, bit warm in places, you really get the age showing. We've had better single cask Ardnamurchans.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: The price is in line with other single cask releases.
161.1 - Nc'nean Distillery
Name: The Caped Cake Wrestler
Flavour Profile: Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Region: Highland
Cask Type: 1st fill STR barrique
ABV: 58.3%
Age: 6
Price: £80.00
The nose opens with red berries, cherry liqueur, Vicks Vapor rub, lots of oak sweetness and some eucalyptus too. There’s a richness here, but there’s a severe lack of depth, it’s so surface level. The palate has a good amount of sweetness, lots of fresh strawberry and cherry, moving into artificial berry flavours, butterscotch, prunes, chocolate and brown sugar. It’s superficial, one note and thin, with no spirit character in sight.
Score: 6/10
Value: In line with pricing of releases from the distillery.
Batch 30 - Skooshy Stroopwafel
Name: Skooshy Stroopwafel
Flavour Profile: Blended Malt
Region: Blended Malt
Cask Type: Bourbon & European oak PX
ABV: 50.0%
Age: 11
Price: £55.00
The nose has brown sugar, rancio, cured meats, blackcurrants, raspberry, a little blackberry too. It’s one of the more expressive noses from the SMWS blends. There’s also caramel, red kola, warm oak spice and clove. The palate has a thinner mouthfeel than we’d like, with similar notes of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, wafer biscuits and some red kola too. It’s a pleasant dram, just a bit thin and forgettable. Quite drinkable though, but not really for us.
Score: 6.5/10
Value: Not a bad price for 11yo malt.
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