{"product_id":"balmenach-16-year-old-2006-smws-single-bourbon-hogshead-oloroso-finish-48-160-ode-to-the-worm-tub-speyside-single-malt-whisky-2024-70cl-1","title":"Balmenach 16 Year Old 2006 SMWS Single Bourbon Hogshead Oloroso Finish 48.160 Ode To The Worm Tub Speyside Single Malt Whisky (2024) 70cl","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 28px;\"\u003eBalmenach 16 Year Old 2006 SMWS Single Bourbon Hogshead Oloroso Finish 48.160 Ode To The Worm Tub Speyside Single Malt Whisky (2024) 70cl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 of 274 bottles produced from a single Oloroso finished bourbon cask.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eScotch Malt Whisky Society\u003c\/em\u003e was founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by Phillip 'Pip' Hills who, while travelling around Scotland in the 1970s, fell in love with whiskies drawn straight from the cask. After he expanded his syndicate the Society was purchased by Glenmorangie PLC in 2004. In 2015, the Society was sold back to private investors. In June 2021, the private owners floated the holding company The Artisanal Spirits Company plc on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 20px;\"\u003eTASTING NOTES\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003carticle\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe could tell straight away this was a heavier and oilier type of distillate. Lots of initial aromas of rapeseed oils, mechanical tool box rags, hessian cloth, olive oil and liquorice. Some dark fruit beers, black tea, red apple skins and dried cranberry. Water brought hints of wine must, lemon cough drops, myrtle, hawthorne and mustard power warmth. The palate maintained this sense of weight with notes of chopped dates, cinder toffee, aniseed sweets and heather honey cake. Also putty and waxiness. Water brought an elegant leathery note, along with plum wine, fir wood resins and more aniseed notes that included liquorice and some herbal liqueurs. Matured for 13 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a 1st fill American oak oloroso sherry hogshead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Balmenach\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSituated a mile inland from the village of Cromdale, Balmenach is one of Speyside’s most traditional distilleries and makes what could be classed as an ‘old-style’ whisky.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe fermentation is long, the stills relatively small and run quickly, and the vapour runs into worm tubs, rather than shell and tube condensers. This helps to produce a slow-maturing new make character which is rich and meaty, ideal for adding weight and grunt to blends, and also to be a good match with ex-Sherry casks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInver House has no plans to release this highly distinctive whisky as a single malt. The reason for this is that the make – whose style is unusual these days – is too highly-prized as fillings for blends, both by Inver House and other firms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an old distillery. James MacGregor took out his licence in 1824 on what was a farm after a period of illicit production. According to Robert Bruce Lockhart, this took place soon after MacGregor had received a visit from a local gauger. When asked what a specific farm building contained, he said it was simply a peat shed. “Well, I suggest you take out a licence for it,” replied the gauger. Bruce Lockhart was related to the MacGregors and his highly recommended book, Scotch, contains many fascinating details about old-style distillation as practised in Cromdale. The distillery eventually passed into the hands of Scotch Malt Distillers, DCL’s malt production arm, which expanded the plant to include a Saladin maltings. It was briefly mothballed between 1993 and 1997, when it was sold to current owner, Inver House, which also produces Caorunn Gin here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/article\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e55.8% ABV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70cl\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Balmenach","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55133632823634,"sku":"BAL16SMWS48.160","price":149.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1052\/9737\/9666\/files\/4768899990.jpg?v=1771932024","url":"https:\/\/whiskysituation.co.uk\/products\/balmenach-16-year-old-2006-smws-single-bourbon-hogshead-oloroso-finish-48-160-ode-to-the-worm-tub-speyside-single-malt-whisky-2024-70cl-1","provider":"Whisky Situation","version":"1.0","type":"link"}