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SMWS set to
release 2 Speyside Festival and 8 Islay
Festival bottlings.
It looks like May will bring a
special outturn from the Scotch Malt
Whisky Society as they have announced
the forthcoming release of 10 exclusive
bottles to celebrate both the Spirit of
Speyside Whisky Festival (3–7 May) and
Feis Ile, The Islay Festival of Music
and Malt (25 May–2 June).
To support the release the Society will
also be holding a series of events at
both festivals, as well as Speyside and
Islay-themed tastings at its Members’
Rooms and partner bars throughout the UK
and Europe.
As I am sure you are aware, both whisky
regions have their superfans, perhaps you
are one of them, and this year the
Society is urging members to make their
voices heard, by joining the online
debate between Speyside supporter the
Craigellachie Crusader and peat freak
the Islay Avenger at https://goo.gl/JgLRDe
Like all Society bottlings, the
distillery name is kept a secret on all
the bottles but I have removed a bit of
the SMWS mystery by naming the
distillery each whisky was distilled in.
The 2018 celebratory festival bottlings
are:
Speyside
- (Glen Grant) 9.143: Graceful
gravitas (21-years-old) – UK and EU
bottling
- (Glenallachie) 107.13:
Andalusian gazpacho (9-years-old) –
UK and EU bottling
Islay
- (Bowmore) 3.307: A journey into
joy (20-years-old) – UK and EU
bottling
- (Bowmore) 3.308: A maritime
meander (13-years-old)
- (Bunnahabhain) 10.141:
Indulgence by the sea (12-years-old)
– UK and EU bottling
- (Bunnahabhain) 10.146: Sweet
smoky succulent sensation
(9-years-old) – UK and EU bottling
- (Laphroaig) 29.241: A perfect
moment (20-years-old) – UK and EU
bottling
- (Laphroaig) 29.244: Weaving
wondrous dreams (8-years-old) –
available on Islay only
- (Caol Ila) 53.248: Slapped by
Poseidon’s glove (11-years-old)
- (Caol Ila) 53.252: Smoky
incarnations (11-years-old)
For those fortunate enough to be
travelling to the Islay Festival of
Music and Malt, the SMWS will be
releasing (Laphroaig) 29.244: Weaving
wondrous dreams. To reward members who
have made the journey to attend the
Islay festival, this limited edition
will only be available for existing and
new members to purchase on the island.
The bottling is an 8-year-old peated
whisky from a refill ex-bourbon barrel.
The palate is described as intense –
with an earthy sweetness (chocolate
brownies, flying saucers, aniseed,
liquorice root) and smoke-derived
flavours of tar, iodine and coal. The
SMWS Tasting Panel said, "the
long-lasting medicinal smoke will waft
and weave into wondrous dreams2.
With only 222 bottles available to
members, this will be a very limited
edition and sought-after bottle.
The other 9 exclusive bottles to
celebrate both the Spirit of Speyside
Whisky Festival and Feis Ile will be available to
SMWS members from
Scotch Malt Whisky Society website
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