53.464 Hebridean Hamper

Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 53.464, Hebridean Hamper, is a 15 year old Islay single malt from the Caol Ila distillery (SMWS distillery code 53). Distilled on 27 May 2008, it matured for eleven years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a first-fill American oak Pedro Ximénez hogshead, and was bottled at a cask strength of 55.3% ABV with an outturn of 234 bottles. It was chosen by an all-female tasting panel and bottled for International Women's Day 2024. The Society classes it as Peated, with a coastal nose of barbecue, seafood, wood smoke and toffee apples and a briny, herbal, peaty palate that turns meaty with water. As with all SMWS bottlings it is unchill-filtered at natural cask strength.

Nose: West-coast barbecue and seafood, wood fires, wet grass, quince and toffee apples; water adds pulled pork, smoked pineapple, vanilla cheesecake, incense and woolly jumpers

Palate: Peat with blue cheese and brine, stone jetties, lobster pots, dried green herbs and chocolate; reduced, charred root vegetables and a charcuterie board

Serve: Neat, then with a few drops of water; at full cask strength it opens up noticeably with a little dilution.