18.81 Fortune Favours The Bold

Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 18.81, Fortune Favours The Bold, is a single cask single malt from Inchgower (SMWS distillery code 18) in Speyside. Distilled on 28 February 2011 and matured for 14 years in a first-fill ex-bourbon hogshead, it was bottled at a cask strength of 55.8% ABV, with an outturn of 278 bottles. The Society files it under Coastal & maritime, and the Tasting Panel describes a briny, savoury dram: fish-cake stew in dashi, sea bass and lavender, then a spicy, oily palate of tuna sashimi with ginger and lime. Like every SMWS release it is bottled at natural cask strength without chill filtration, carrying the cask code on the label rather than the distillery name.

Nose: Japanese oden fish-cake stew, an old naval officer's wooden chest and lavender sea bass with couscous; water brings toasted pretzels in a honey-mustard salad

Palate: Spicy and oily, with umami tuna sashimi, ginger and lime; reduced, like a cheese cracker with seaweed jam

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