The Smws is a club that almost all whisky enthusiasts will have heard of and at some point will have discussed the merits of joining.. Although you probably wouldn’t exactly call it an exclusive club as anyone can join, it is still a club to worth joining if you want exclusive bottles at a good price..

The club still runs its outturn bottles monthly and blindly in the concept that each distillery has a code rather than the actual name printed on the label, with a descriptive title in order to give you a hint to what you might be buying..

Todays review is unfortunately a bottle that has passed but I still feel it’s worthy of review..

“ A Moment of Serenity “

AGE 15 Years.
DATE DISTILLED 5th March 2008.
CASK TYPE  ( finished in ) First Fill Ex-Pedro Ximenez Hogshead ( Although it spent the majority of its maturing years in ex bourbon casks)

OUTTURN 1 of 192 bottles
ABV 55.1%

Described as “ sweet, fruity and mellow”

Nose.. Typical notes of dried fruits and chocolate chip cookies, candied oranges and coffee grinds. Toffee, caramel and vanilla all remind you this spent time in a bourbon cask along with a cinnamon touch and hints of damp oak.

Palate.. Oak leads the way with a sweetness taking over they reinforces the finishing within a Px cask.. A deep richness comes in the form of chocolate and Demerara sugar, spices start to shine along with sugared almonds and subtle tobacco leaf.

Finish.. A little sulphur note enhances the oaky finish..

Thoughts.. This is not your typical Mortlach but it is an enjoyable one, the finish is well done and still allows the initial maturation to show through..

The chewy nature of this dram makes it a perfect after dinner type dram which will provoke interesting thoughts and a great discussion.. Shame it’s all gone.