Distillery Dive: #24 is back! After an overwhelming response from American members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society last month, we are thrilled to present an encore special lottery release from Distillery #24! In September, we welcomed members to take a deep dive with #24, examining the impact of cask maturation by exploring the evolution of one whisky aged in three different casks. Naturally, such an exercise is best done in the comparative setting, so all three casks were bundled together for an immersive taste examination. This month, we’re taking a different approach to spread the liquid love even farther! With October’s Distillery Dive: #24 release, we aim to reach as many members as possible, so bottles will be offered individually via lottery. That means a lot more members will get to experience a fantastic expression of this Speyside jewel that has captured the hearts and minds of so many whisky lovers around the world! 

In October of 2018, SMWS spirit manager Euan Campbell identified a handful of casks from Distillery #24 that had been aged in Oloroso sherry butts for 10 years. He decided this collection of whisky had a different destiny than the usual single cask release. These Oloroso sherry butts would be vatted (married together) and ‘re-casked’ for another 2 years of aging in different first-fill wood. This experimental approach to cask management unearthed an utterly delicious and unique world of flavour, highlighting the impact and influence these additional maturations have on one same original whisky. Today’s releases focus on Oloroso sherry and PX sherry casks used for additional maturation offering a full-throttle sherry-bombing experience! Each cask is equally decadent whilst bringing their unique flavour to the table. Cask No. 24.154 Confessions of a cask presents amazing flavours of dark dried fruits in Christmas pudding before going darker towards charred meats and black pudding. Cask No. 24.155 An offaly good dram keeps the meatiness going with brisket, venison and mutton soup before sweetening up with golden raisins, black currant jam and dark chocolate. Whilst these two casks were aged in Oloroso sherry, Cask No. 24.157 In a tapas bar saw its second maturation in PX cask. Sticky and sweet with plenty of cigar box and leather to temper syrupy dried fruits, this is another stellar dram that will make sherried whisky dreams come true!

ENTER THE LOTTERY! Due to the expected high popularity of this release, bottles will not be available for ordering today. Instead, we invite interested members to enter the raffle below for a chance to order a bottle from Distillery Dive: #24. When you enter the lottery, you will be asked to indicate which cask(s) you are interested in. You may select one, two or all three casks. To allow as many members as possible to take this dive, only one bottle will be allocated to each winning member. Entries must be completed by TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 26th at 2pm EDT, when winning member names will be drawn. They will be contacted shortly thereafter and will have 24 hours to order their bottle (until Wednesday 10/27 at 2pm EDT). 

Slàinte Mhath!

Cask No. 24.154

Title: Confessions of a cask

Tasting Note: Sticky treacle and molasses oozed over Christmas pudding packed with prunes, dates and figs before a generous soaking of navy rum was lit by a single match. An abundance of cinnamon, nuts and dark chocolate caramelised with muscovado sugar while on the palate came star anise, cloves and brandy butter. Rich flavours of coffee, liquorice and plum chutney then merged with cigar boxes and burnt cereals. With water heavy fruitcake was served with rosemary dressed roast lamb and a side of singed blackcurrants, maple syrup and porridge. The palate had now expanded into almond oil and Brazil nut butter while thick custard arrived with rye bread, burnt ham and grilled black pudding. At ten years of age we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: October 2008

ABV: 63.3%

Region: Speyside Spey

Barrel: First-fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead

Outturn: 313 bottles

US Allocation: 96 bottles

Cask No. 24.155

Title: An offaly good dram

Tasting Note: This one was an immediate and full on sherry bomb. Huge notes of roast brisket, burnt ends, cranberry gravy and toasted juniper. This meaty vibe continued with oxtail soup, venison roast drippings and mutton soup. Then notes of resinous fir wood, freeze dried strawberries and blueberry coulis. Water opened up fruity black coffee, roasted almonds, expensive marzipan and golden sultanas. It became hugely complex with many notes of soy sauce, Irish coffee, strong porter beer and rosewater. The palate was sweeter and highly concentrated, full of natural tar, blackcurrant jam, warm horseradish and cured game meats. With water the meaty tones of venison stew were back along with old Cointreau, lime leaf, mustard power, red liquorice and sumptuous dark chocolate sauce. At 10 years of age, we combined selected casks from this distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: October 2008

ABV: 63.0%

Region: Speyside Spey

Barrel: First-fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead

Outturn: 324 bottles

US Allocation: 102 bottles

Cask No. 24.157

Title: In a tapas bar

Tasting Note: The gorgeous nose takes you to a tapas bar in Jerez – solomillo al whisky, jamon, manchego, olives and toasted almonds; crushed oranges, horse harnesses, cigar butts and rich dark sherry. The palate has a lovely chewy, toothsome, woody, sticky sweetness that lingers long; flavours of raisins and ripe purple figs, oranges, walnuts and dark chocolate; red roses in a cigar box and Christmas spices; the perfect armchair dram. At ten years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.

Age: 12 years

Date distilled: October 2008

ABV: 63.9%

Region: Speyside Spey

Barrel: First-fill American oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead

Outturn: 306 bottles

US Allocation: 90 bottles