Review #283 - SMWS Distillery 68 Rare Release 'Bake-Off' - Blair Athol 14 Year

Blair Athol distillery is generally associated with ex-bourbon casks when the product is headed for blending, while the distillate meant for single malt often gets sherry cask maturation - that's the case here. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society aged the spirit used in this release in first fill Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry hogsheads, as well as refill hogsheads.

After 14+ years, these casks came together to give us a strength of 53.5% ABV. Instead of the usual single cask releases that we usually get from the Society, this is a small batch release, blended together for the SMWS' Celebration of the Highland Spirit in 2023.

SMWS Distillery 68 Rare Release 'Bake-Off' - Blair Athol 14 Year

Scotland/Highland - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 170 (2023)

Age Statement: 14 Years

Strength: 53.5% ABV

Cask Makeup: First fill Spanish oak ex-Oloroso sherry hogsheads and refill hogsheads

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled February 2008; 1,174 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Caramel and brown sugar up front - dark, sweet, and rich. Very woody, almost bourbon-like, with some pepper and lots of baking spice. Hints of orange, fig, and prune linger in the background; it's a little bit nutty, and at times, there's a molasses note.

Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel - nice and warm, and quite woody. Sharper pepper, oak, cardamom, and nutmeg present at first, and then there's toasted nuts, wood polish, and cinnamon spice. Again, fruits are a background note: lemon tang and orange, specifically. Hints of savory flavors, astringent tannins, and at the end, an Amaro taste.

Finish: Medium-long, and orange is the dominant note in the finish, both orange tea and the fruit. Soft caramel and wood spice mingle, and in the aftertaste, syrup lingers. It's a cozy finish.

Final Note: Given this whisky blind, we probably would have guessed it was a high-proof bourbon - the emphasis on baking notes and oak was very dominant, and it's quite a bold whisky. Not what we expected, but still tasty, if a little bit closed up... it felt like the whisky had more to give. Those fruits could be teased out with time, but they were definitely an accent note.

This was quite a pricey bottle - SMWS bottle prices here in the US seem to be rising quickly in the past couple of years - so value is only average, at best.

Our Average Rating: 7.4 / 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: 5.82