Tasted #185 & #186: SMWS 2.89 (Glenlivet) & 132.2 (Karuizawa)

Probably somewhat unsurprisingly, when Steph and I visited The Society in Tokyo (as part of our JapanTour14), we tried a few Scotch Malt Whisky Society drams. Namely, a 20 year old Glenlivet and a 22yo Karuizawa.

Thoughts?

Absolutely fantastic, both of them...

SMWS 2.89 "Slow cooked beef stew" Glenlivet (50.7% ABV, 20yo, One of 332 bottles from a refill hogshead, Speyside, Scotland, only available at auction now it seems)
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Colour: Orange copper

Nose: Fairy floss, followed by toffee.

Palate: Initially hot, but quickly settling to smooth, gentle mouthfilling pleasantness. Whipped cream (but not too sweet), meaty and thick, but also with notes of tropical fruits, and then candied fruits. Slight hints of orange peel and marmalade.

Finish: Short to medium length, with final notes of creme brûlée.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

SMWS 132.2 "Stunning panorama of exotic fruits" Karuizawa (62.4% ABV, 22yo, One of 355 bottles from a refill sherry butt, Karuizawa, Japan, only available at auction now it seems)
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Colour: Rich vibrant gold.

Nose: Closed up at first - grassy, candied lemons (even Yuzu lemons). A drop of water brings out more sweetness, in the form of sherbert.

Palate: Hot, so rich and full of plums, then sherbert (again), and finally licorice.

Finish: Slightly drying, spicy. Cherries. Very long, with the tiniest waft of smoke.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. Fantastic, and not just because of the Karuizawa mystique (we tried one absolutely terrible Karuizawa on the trip too - not an SMWS bottling).

Cheers,

Martin.