60.34 Conifers In The Rain

Conifers In The Rain is Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 60.34, a single malt Scotch whisky from the Aberfeldy distillery (Society distillery code 60) in the Scottish Highlands. Distilled on 3 April 2014 and bottled at 9 years old, it matured in a second-fill ex-bourbon barrel. Like every Society release it was bottled at natural cask strength, in this case 57.7% ABV in 700ml bottles, with no chill filtration, and the cask yielded 117 bottles. The Society's tasting panel places it in the "Juicy, oak & vanilla" flavour profile. SMWS labels carry a number rather than the distillery's name, because a single cask often tastes quite unlike the distillery's usual house style.

Nose: Warm custard, crushed cream crackers, alpine butter and icing sugar; water brings a hint of new make, damp pine, rain-soaked conifers and orange zest.

Palate: Mace-spiced custard, lemon drops, icing sugar and pink peppercorn; with water, mineral sweetness with blackcurrant and almond.

Serve: Taste it neat first, then add a few drops of water; at 57.7% ABV a little dilution opens up further aromas, as the Society's panel found.