I was at SMWS in Glasgow for a ‘Vaults Collection’ tasting – it happened to coincide with a free evening I had in Glasgow, so didn’t really look too much into what the event was – apart from it looking like a few high-end drams for £45 (with dinner). Here’s their blurb:
“Join us for an intimate evening celebrating the most exceptional casks from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Vaults Collection – our rarest, oldest, and most remarkable bottlings. In the style of our beloved Outturn preview tasting events, this event offers a unique opportunity to sample an exclusive line up of whiskies that embody the pinnacle of flavour, maturity, and character. This tasting will take you on a journey through time, with each dram revealing the rich history and masterful maturation behind these limited and highly coveted casks. Looking to add to your whisky shelf? As a special offer exclusive to this tasting, you’ll receive a £50 voucher for every Vaults Collection bottle purchased on the evening. Terms and conditions apply.”
It turned out to be a tasting of 13 drams (!), all older than 30yo! As you can imagine, none of the bottles were cheap (one was a £2k Macallan…) – so it was an excellent value evening and once in a blue moon. My scores out of 10 are sort of a mix of how much I liked the whiskies in general, with a bit of ‘value adjustment’ – these are all bottles costing hundreds of pounds plus, after all. At one point I said, “I’m not sure I actually like old whisky?”, but equally, there were a couple of exceptional drams too. Having that many old whiskies one after another made it a little hard to judge fairly – and I think you can only have so many ancient drams before they get a touch samey. Either way, the relative scores feel roughly right, and the 2 standout drams in particular (Macallan & Balblair) will remain a very fond memory. Oh, and at times, we only had 5 mins per dram, so my notes are a bit brief!
SMWS Vaults Collection Tasting, Glasgow
SMWS 38.42 – Cigars in Sweetie Jars
Caperdonich 31yo | 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel | 50.3%
Nose: Parma Violets, musty.
Taste: Sweet, then sour.
Comments: Doesn’t grab me. Actually, better when coming back.
Score: 6.5/10
SMWS 115.29 – Visions of the Basque country
anCnoc 32yo | 2nd fill ex-bourbon barrel | 47.4%
Nose: Oaky nose.
Taste: Really dry, especially on finish. Herbal and metallic.
Comments: Reminds me of Imperial.
Score: 5.5/10
SMWS 39.198 – Understated Opulence
Linkwood 30yo | 2nd fill toasted hogshead | 49.2%
Nose: Sting-y.
Taste: Light, roses, sweeter.
Comments: A bit like sweet cough syrup perfume.
Score: 6.5/10
SMWS 35.387 – Molecular Gastronomy
Glen Moray 32yo | Ex-bourbon / 1st fill PX hogshead | 55.4%
Nose: Very little.
Taste: Really like this, but a simple sweetness. PX (correct!) or wine? finish? Subtle Christmas vibes. Toffee apples!.
Comments: Lovely rich colour , but doesn’t really taste old.
Score: 7.4/10
SMWS 50.119 – Gallovidian Rhapsody
Bladnoch 34yo | Refill ex-bourbon barrel | 53.6%
Nose: Amazing nose – toffee, pepper, rubber?
Taste: Creamy, bit offputting? Sour cream?
Comments: It’s lightly perfumed, but not my kind of perfume. After a few goes, it gets a bit better. Definitely warmed to it.
Score: 6.6/10
SMWS 24.172 – Soothing Invigoration
Macallan 34yo | Refill ex-bourbon barrel | 49.1%
Nose: Old cupboards. Mustiest so far.
Taste: Amber nectar, very quaffable. Cherry Coke! Fizzy then spicy like a cough sweet.
Comments: Intrigued what this is, would guess a fruity speyside in a bourbon cask.
Score: 8.3/10
SMWS 12.8 – Heaven in a Leather Hammock
BenRiach 34yo | Oloroso butt / 1st fill ex-PX butt | 59.2%
Nose: Old limes, alcohol vapours.
Taste: Sweet, toffee, rich, plums. It’s really drinkable, but sickly too.
Comments: This is so sweet, maybe too much for me?! Considering the simple sweetness, doesn’t seem worth paying for the age.
Score: 6.9/10
SMWS 70.48 – Espresso Romano
Balblair 33yo | Refill bourbon barrel | 62.3%
Nose: Freshly ground pepper, icing sugar dust.
Taste: So fruity. God, this is amazing. Pink candyfloss.
Comments: This is just an excellent liquid and cask imo.
Score: 8.5/10
SMWS 105.44 – Honey Jam
Tormore 35yo | Refill ex-bourbon hogshead | 48.1%
Nose: Cheesey!.
Taste: Prawns, cloying. Sweet citrus. Apples.
Comments: Great. Tiny bit sour in the finish. This one was disappointing/weird on the nose, but really nice on the taste – the inverse of a few drams tonight.
Score: 7.2/10
SMWS 76.151 – Cloves Studded in Honey-glazed Ham
Mortlach 30yo | 1st fill ex-oloroso sherry hogshead | 57.2%
Nose: Prawn cocktail crisps.
Taste: Herbal deliciousness, sour on finish. Oaky dominance.
Comments: Not really for me maybe, but still interesting. It’s intriguing wheb returning to it.
Score: 7/10
SMWS 30.124 – Sunshine on the Soul
Glenrothes 31yo | Refill ex-bourbon hogshead | 56.7%
Nose: Cupboards, limes etc.
Taste: “Japanese”, rose petals, candied lemons slices.
Comments: Stands out, more delicate than others. Feels like a ‘nice design’, somehow.
Score: 7.1/10
SMWS 66.246 – Cigars, Sauternes and Sautéed Sultanas
Ardmore 32yo | Refill ex-sherry butt | 51.8%
Nose: Roasted almonds, cherries.
Taste: Very floral, cherry fruits. Quite unusual. Lost most of its peat.
Comments: So perfumed, certainly interesting.
Score: 7/10
SMWS 53.481 – Petals Serenading Seaweed
Caol Ila 33yo | Refill ex-bourbon hogshead | 43%
Nose: Nothing new, and I guess, literally “nothing new”. Slight fish?
Taste: Metallic again, seawater.
Comments: This wasn’t very peaty and scored it before finding out it was a Caol Ila. Not for me, this one.
Score: 6.2/10
As seen in the event blurb, they were offering a £50 voucher with any bottle purchase – but actually, they also took £100 off all bottles on the night, with some having a couple hundred knocked off the listed price as well. My understanding is this ‘Vaults Collection’ series is being discontinued, so some good ‘deals’ can be had as they try and deplete the stock. I didn’t buy anything, but if I had, it would’ve been the Balblair, followed by the Glen Moray. And I’ll probably never try such an old, bourbon cask Macallan again…