60.43 Compote In The Caribbean

Compote In The Caribbean is Scotch Malt Whisky Society cask 60.43, a single malt Scotch whisky from the Aberfeldy distillery (Society distillery code 60) in the Scottish Highlands. Distilled on 24 October 2013 and bottled at 10 years old, it spent eight years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before transfer to a second-fill hybrid American and European oak hogshead with toasted heads. Like every Society release it was bottled at natural cask strength, in this case 58.9% ABV in 700ml bottles, with no chill filtration, and the cask yielded 288 bottles. The Society's tasting panel places it in the "Spicy & sweet" 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: Mixed berry compote, Caribbean fruit punch and honeyed fruit; water adds vanilla, lanolin, honey-roasted parsnip and fennel.

Palate: Cupboard spices, roasted chestnuts, birch water and apple pie; with water, cinnamon, cedar, clove, cherries, cigar and coriander.

Serve: Taste it neat first, then add a few drops of water; at 58.9% ABV a little dilution opens up further aromas, as the Society's panel found.