Whisky Review: SMWS 42.29 Marvellous maritime margaritas

Category: Island single malt scotch whisky

Origin: Tobermory Distillery; SMWS Distillery 42

Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

ABV: 57.3%

Cost: £59.40

What they say:

Cask 42.29

Next to the seaside smokehouse and amongst the tarry ropes and old fishermens nets was an odd place to sip margaritas whilst snacking on sweet pickled herring, smoked bacon in granary bread roles [sic] with brown sauce and balsamic vinegar. But that’s just the way we rolled. From the smell in the air it seemed they were smoking duck today, perhaps with some sort of marmite glaze. As the margaritas evaporated we looked forward to our pudding of salted caramel ice cream with lime sauce and a spoonful of thick cut marmalade.

9 years old, distilled 5th October 2006, 57.3% vol, 228 bottles, refill ex-bourbon barrel.

What I say:

The final Dram #3 from the 2016 whisky roundtable discussion, as co-selected by JJ of Whisky Rover, and Tom of Toms Whisky Reviews. A distillery on the up at present and their peated make (bottled as Ledaig) is certainly turning heads.

Colour:

Light gold (3/20), oily, medium-large legs with interspersed medium tears

Nose:

Medicinal peat phenol, sweet, brown/chippy sauce, mixture of vinegar and spices, oysters/shellfish, tarry ropes

Taste:

Meaty, smoked meats/charcuterie and sweet caramel sauce with medicinal peat again, light germolene, approaching Ardbeg levels of well structured sweet peatiness.

Finish:

Long, sweet peanuty peat

Overall:

very easy drinking and approachable peatiness complimentary flavours assist

Score: 84/100

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