As the storm is now in full force over my little country, and snow is covering some surprising places, it’s time to review a storm dram, a peated and sweet-fruity dram, something like a Port Charlotte from the SMWS – 127.40 Mango chicken vindaloo.
It’s no secret I’m a fan of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) and their bottlings, their venues are on my must visit places whenever I come over to UK/Scotland and I LOVE their peated bottlings. A previous SMWS Port Charlote bottling was one of my favorites of 2013 and I was waiting eagerly to lay my hands on another bottle. I tried in vain to get a bottle of this but had to settle for a bottle-share (although I did get another one later, but that’s a review for another time).
And so, armed with a 100ml bottle of this Port Charlotte, aged 12 years from a Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead that yielded only 159 bottles, I’m ready for mother nature this weekend.
SMWS 127.40 Mango chicken vindaloo (63%, 159 bottles)
Photo credit: benswhisky.co.uk
Nose: Massive peat and fruity nose, chutney, pears, peaches and a bit of apricots, the peat is there in the background (quite a massive background!) supporting the front fruits. After a few minutes there are strong notes of malt and cereal. Added water and all I can say is WOW. It opens up fantastically, retaining the palette of the notes but it’s now layered and sharpened. The fruits notes gets tropical with added tanned pineapples juice, there’s less peat, indeed chicken meat shows up and it’s lovely and deeper.
Palate: Sweet peat with ashes and a bit of soot, sweet stewed fruits, cereals, very thick and meaty. With water, less sweet and less peat, lighter and better. grilled chicken, tropical fruits and depth.
Finish: Very long with peat, ashes, lingering fruits sweetness.
Thoughts: Cold, rain, hail or snow, I’m ready! It’s a top dram, rounded and nicely balanced notes. Best to have it with a few drops of water, maybe melted snow will do? 🙂
Nose: Ahh, love that Laphroaig nose – Peat and soot, engine oil and BBQ coal, a bit of burnt matches, dry warm rubber boots. There’s the sherry impact with nutmeg, soaked raisins, sour berries. 
Nose: Big peat note, not so smokey but there’s a nice layed down burnt down wood smoke. It’s very sweet & fruity with a touch of lemon. Oily and even had a passing by note of rubber and liquorice. 
Nose: Starts with a wave of sweet fruits and it’s very dusty (partially due to the high ABV) and heavy, creamy cereal, lemon and despite it being unpeated, I occasionally do smell some sweet peat. With a few drops of water the ABV drops down and the dusty notes turns to mineral notes with salty touch, it becomes more sweet and fruity with tropical fruits like mango and passion-fruits. 
Nose: A very Lagavulin nose at first with sweet and gentle peat & smoke. Then the sherry makes its entrance on stage with gentle and deep yet not too strong sherry sweetness. raisins, berries, prunes and gentle spices. It’s so ingrained and balanced with smoked wood on front, sherry and peat a bit behind. What a WOW combo. 
Nose: Old, dusty, sweet apples galore with a dash of lemon, honey – very sweet nose but also very flat and not complex. Might be an inactive cask? 
Nose: Creamy malt, chimney smoke, peat, sweet lemon cheesecake, sea air. All in all very balanced and cheesy. 
Nose: I instantly recognized the Laphroaig profile. There’re the peat and smoke, it’s very sweet and heavy on vanilla and honey. With some time, smokier, brine, but didn’t find much iodine & TCP. It’s rounded and very tamed comparing to previous OB expressions. 
Whisky Gospel 