One of the many things I love about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is that you can access whisky that would otherwise be out of reach for anyone but the 1%. This bottle is a good example of this. My general thought is that SMWS whiskies, if thinking only in terms of price paid versus age, tends to be a little pricier for young whiskies and good value for older whiskies - this older bottle is a good example of that. Although not inexpensive, this is a good value and could never be had at a reasonable price if bottle by the distillery (look up the SMWS codes online if you want to see where this is from).
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Perfumed and oak driven with notes of real navel oranges. The nose has a floral character and a hint of cooling eucalyptus. Honestly beautiful.
Palate: Soft and sweet initially with a orange and moving to a eucalyptus (massage oil) type flavour. The next sip confirms your initial thoughts... this is a nice older dram. I get sweet orange perfumed with some baking spices on top of chocolate which is than balanced with a nice woody/eucalyptus note and a (like the SMWS notes say) a distinct sort of effervescence. This is mature whisky.
Finish: Finish does not go right down to your belly and tends to stay up high in the chest and has nice persistence leaving you with that minty/eucalyptus sort of taste and sensation.
Comments: When would I drink this? When you have time to enjoy a dram quietly, drink this one. I generally think this one lends itself better to warmer days or when you feel like a whisky in a lighter style with some class... maybe night cap on those days? It shows its 28 years of age nicely and its 51.1% alcohol with almost no alcohol sensation at all. It's balanced and complex enough while just being damn good. This whisky at this age, if bottled by the distillery, would be multiples of the price the SMWS charge. If you're looking for a good older dram to just relax with, this is a strong bet. Maybe this is a massage whisky after all!
P.S. A quick tip with this one... give some time in the glass. Sip it over at least 28 minutes (1 minute per aged year) and you will see that it changes quite a bit over that period.
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