Review #199 - SMWS 93.170 'Mermaid Karate' - Glen Scotia 9 Year
While Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottlings from Campbeltown are less common, we still get a few casks from Glen Scotia from time to time. Here's a 9 year old example, made using strongly peated distillate; it was distilled in March of 2012, and barrel eventually yielded 233 bottles.
The cask used was a first fill ex-bourbon barrel, so there's no wine influence to skew the flavor - we should be getting plenty of the distillate character here. The cask strength presentation of 58.6% ABV should help showcase that flavor, as well.
SMWS 93.170 'Mermaid Karate' - Glen Scotia 9 Year
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 125 (2022)
Current Locally Available Price: No longer available
Age Statement: 9 Years
Strength: 58.6% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled March 16, 2012; 233 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 9 months; bottles at 90%, 80%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dark and slightly brooding, with a medium level of peat smoke. That peat is sweet and green, and there are notes like charred oak, phenols, cigarette ash, and wet moss; wood smoke, balsamic, and seaweed come in, too. With time, the complexion turns lighter - sea salt, tart pineapple, vanilla, and white pepper arrive, while hints of barbecue and moldy lemons appear occasionally.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, and a medium level of peat smoke to go with it. Rich with a buttery texture, and there's a lot of baking spice: pepper, cayenne, vanilla, and sweet oil. Campfire charcoal arrives, and then it takes a funky and slightly meaty turn: pepperoni, sausage, and damp mossy wood. Not a lot of fruit, just hints of lemon and orange citrus. With time, more perfumed oak wafts out.
Finish: Medium-long, with plentiful peat reek and baking notes. Burnt sugar, charred orange rind, raw sugar, and plenty of peppery spice; oak notes arrive with wood sugar, char, and a slightly earthy note.
Final Note: Nice, with many different layers to it - the funky and savory notes weren't always present, but they added a nice complexity in the palate specifically. The peat was strong but not overwhelming - plenty of spirit character coming through. $125 might seem steep for a 9 year old whisky, but based on the flavor this was able to deliver, as well as the desirability of the distillery and the region, it's far from the worst deal in whisky.
Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.10
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