122.83 Bright And Cheerful

Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 122.83, Bright And Cheerful, is a single cask single malt from Loch Lomond, released under the Society's code 122 (Croftengea). Distilled on 4 July 2014, it matured for 11 years in a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel and was bottled at a cask strength of 60.3% ABV, yielding 195 bottles. The Society places it in its Ripe fruits & honey flavour profile, and the Tasting Panel describes a creamy, citrus-led dram: lemon desserts and white chocolate on the nose, a smooth palate with a touch of pepper, and a bittersweet, herbal finish. With water, floral perfume and stone fruit come forward. Like every SMWS release, it is bottled at natural cask strength and is not chill filtered.

Nose: White chocolate lime cookies, vanilla cheesecake and lemon meringue pie; water brings white flowers, pink grapefruit and pineapple marmalade

Palate: Creamy and smooth with a hint of white pepper; with water, verbena-poached peaches, banoffee pie, lemon and pear

Finish: Like a yellow negroni of pisco, limoncello, gentian, yellow chartreuse and bianco vermouth

Serve: Neat, then with a few drops of water to open up the aromas; at full cask strength it rewards patience.