It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!
The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.
The nose is quite closed at first - fennel, oak tree bark, old dusty paper. Repeated nosing also brings hints of lemon and banana. The mouthfeel is thin with no cling. The body is very spirity, with notes of lemon and ginger, then a hint of tablet. The finish is tablet and fennel, with a hint of lemon.
Water brings out tightly packed but rapidly expanding whorling that settles into short-lived mottling. The nose now gains hints of lightly toasted bread and has lost the fennel. The body has more lemon, and hints of icing sugar and aniseed.
This is a good dram, but quite closed and therefore something of a lighter “session dram”, which at this strength is dangerous! I believe it may have more to give, so put a watchglass over it and leave it to sit for a while. There’s a little increase in herbal notes, and the body gains some pear, but I’m not convinced to give it any longer - I’m content to know it won’t get worse with time!
The fermentation is long, the stills relatively small and run quickly, and the vapour runs into worm tubs, rather than shell and tube condensers. This helps to produce a slow-maturing new make character which is rich and meaty, ideal for adding weight and grunt to blends, and also to be a good match with ex-Sherry casks.
Inver House has no plans to release this highly distinctive whisky as a single malt. The reason for this is that the make – whose style is unusual these days – is too highly-prized as fillings for blends, both by Inver House and other firms.
This is an old distillery. James MacGregor took out his licence in 1824 on what was a farm after a period of illicit production. According to Robert Bruce Lockhart, this took place soon after MacGregor had received a visit from a local gauger. When asked what a specific farm building contained, he said it was simply a peat shed. “Well, I suggest you take out a licence for it,” replied the gauger. Bruce Lockhart was related to the MacGregors and his highly recommended book, Scotch, contains many fascinating details about old-style distillation as practised in Cromdale.
The distillery eventually passed into the hands of Scotch Malt Distillers, DCL’s malt production arm, which expanded the plant to include a Saladin maltings. It was briefly mothballed between 1993 and 1997, when it was sold to current owner, Inver House, which also produces Caorunn Gin here.
