Cask No. 8.43

Cask No. 8.43 

Shaded by flowers

Speyside, Spey

Celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's founding in 1983!

This opened with a big, no-nonsense initial aroma of custard with mulling spices, warm coffee grounds, walnut cake, dusty old bodega funk, mace, allspice and toasted almond flakes. With time a slightly sweeter, earthier edge emerged, like earthen-floored wine cellar must and walnut wine. Water brought out more aromatic aspects such as hothouse flowers, tobacco leaf and boiled mint sweets, plus a touch of candied grapefruit. The neat palate was surprisingly rounded, featuring lots of demerara sugar, plum wine, fennel seeds and treacle tart with a hint of blood orange. With reduction we found a much more intense and direct sweetness, characterised by flavours of blackcurrant jam, dates, plums in cognac, raisins and toasted oak lactones. 

Cask: First-fill Pedro Ximenez butt
Age: 7 years
Date distilled: November 2015
Alcohol: 55.7%
USA allocation: 90 bottles
700mL bottle format