SMWS ‘Exotic rainforest fruits’ 6 Year Old (57.9% ABV) which is limited to 174 bottles, was distilled on 28th February 2010, then matured in refill ex-bourbon casks, before being bottled and releases under the society’s Sweet, Fruity & Mellow flavour profile.
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| The SMWS launches its first Indian single cask bottlings |
SMWS ‘Lip-smacking and cockle-warming’ 6 Year Old (58% ABV) which is limited to 168 bottles, was distilled on 31st March 2010, then matured in refill ex-bourbon casks, before being bottled and releases under the society’s Juicy Oak and Vanilla flavour profile.
These latest two SMWS releases, which will be available exclusively to society members via a ballot, are from a prominent distillery in Goa on the western coast of India, which rarely releases aged single cask, single malts.
The warm, tropical climate of the region, where the average temperature reaches up to 30°C, has a significant impact on the whisky maturation process. While the casks are stored in an underground temperature-controlled cellar, the heat makes the whisky mature faster than it would in colder climates such as Scotland.
The warmer climate also leads to more whisky evaporating, the ‘angel’s share’ of Indian whiskies is around 8% compared to around 2% in Scotland. This high level of evaporation makes it exceedingly difficult to age the whisky for longer periods, making these 6 Year Old bottlings exceptionally rare.
Commenting on the launch, Kai Ivalo, Spirits Director at the SMWS, said: “Our aim at the Society is to search the world for exciting single casks to share with our members. These two casks from Goa are perfect examples – it’s fascinating to see how the different climate and faster maturation process there has created such an amazing array of juicy, sweet and spicy flavours. This is the first time we’ve bottled from distillery 134 and we can’t wait to hear the feedback from our members.”
SMWS ‘Exotic rainforest fruits’ and SMWS ‘Lip-smacking and cockle-warming’, will be available exclusively to SMWS members, via a ballot on the society’s website on October 19th. RRP £145.00 each.
Posted by Steve Rush