44.170 Browsing In A Christmas Shop

Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 44.170, Browsing In A Christmas Shop, is a single cask single malt Scotch whisky from Craigellachie in Speyside (SMWS distillery code 44). Distilled on 23 October 2006, it spent 12 years in ex-bourbon wood before being moved to a first-fill American oak Pedro Ximénez hogshead, and was bottled at 16 years old. It was bottled at a cask strength of 62.5% ABV, with an outturn of 175 bottles. The Society files it under its Deep, rich & dried fruits flavour profile. Festive from the first sniff, with Seville marmalade, chocolate-dipped orange, moscatel and fruit loaf, followed by fig rolls, lebkuchen and chocolate orange on the palate. Water adds marzipan and molasses cake, finishing with ginger snaps, leather and cigar. Like every Society bottling it is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration.

Nose: Seville marmalade, chocolate-dipped candied orange, moscatel and fruit loaf; water adds dried fruit, brandy snaps, coffee creams and clove-spiced pears

Palate: Fig rolls, lebkuchen, chocolate orange and cherries in cola syrup; water brings marzipan, molasses cake, lemon peel and cassis

Finish: Ginger snaps, leather and cigar

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