SMWS 68.59 “Crunch or Crackle”
The next review will take a look at another Scotch Malt Whisky Society release, No.68.59 “Crunch or Crackle” which is a 12 year old single malt distilled in August 2008. For those that do not recall from my previous SMWS post, the first number in the “code” represents the distillery, which while they do not market the name of the distillery, it is widely available to find on the internet. This particular bottle comes from Blair Athol, a Highland distillery.
One of the great things about SMWS is that they get some really unique single barrels from distilleries that may not be widely distributed or may not sell under their own “brand” at all. Blair Athol, owned by Diageo, doesn’t do a lot of their own releases with a VAST majority of their stocks going towards blends. The independent bottlers, like SMWS, buy casks and will do single barrel releases of many of these distilleries, which if you’re into exploring something different and non-mainstream, is pretty cool.
As always, their bottles are released at cask strength, so it gives the sipper the ability to dilute down to a desired proof point, or to just drink it in its purest form.
ABV: 59.5%
How it smells….a bit boozy (not surprising at ~60% ABV), sweet, cake frosting, citrus….with a dab of water, the booziness goes away and the sweetness becomes more defined, giving you some honey and lemon frosting.
How it tastes….starts with vanilla & oak and some malt flavors, transitioning into baking spices and ending in cherry, more spice and a bit of pepperiness. The finish will give you a bit of a numb tongue…..with some water, the start is lighter and sweeter with the spiciness showing up in the middle. The end becomes more rye bread with a finish of cinnamon and sugar.
Price…$120
Rating...🥃🥃🥃🥃
Final thoughts….My general thoughts about SMWS, and other independent bottlers, is that they provide really unique products. Whether it is letting you explore distilleries that are used mostly in blends or by giving you different flavor profiles from distilleries that you know and love.
It’s a bit more expensive as you pay an annual “member fee” and the bottles tend to be $100+, at a higher price point than their age-statement-equivalents that you can find on the store shelves. And don’t forget the shipping fee (Note: 3-4 bottles per purchase tends to be the sweet spot to amortize that shipping cost down on a per bottle basis). However, you are getting very limited releases (this was 1 of 90 released in the U.S.) and you are getting them at cask strength. I have never even seen a bottle of Blair Athol on the shelf in the U.S. and a quick internet search shows that what is out there is very expensive. This is my long-winded way of saying that the “value” that I usually preach about in all my posts is really hard to define with these types of bottles. That said, this was delicious.
I preferred this one with a bit of water as I found it really brought out the complexities within the spirit. That said, it was still remarkably smooth for a near 120 proof sip and still enjoyable undiluted. I didn’t get any off-putting notes, it was truly great from start to finish.
SMWS is tough for reviews as by the time I get to review them, they are likely sold out, particularly here in the U.S. That said, the experience is worth the added cost.
