SMWS 94.4 Ode to Autumn

SMWS 94.4 Ode to Autumn, 24 YO, 52,3 %

The whisky of the day is a rarity. This is an independent bottling of Fettercairn. It is not often I come across Fettercairn 'in the wild' so to speak. This distillery produces mainly for the blends of Whyte & Mackay, the owner of Fettercairn. The distillery has what must be the absolutely most low key website I have ever come across...

The SMWS 94.4 Ode to Autumn is 24 YO, and has been matured in a refill bourbon hogshead. It was distilled 1989-05-31 and the total outturn was 201 bottles.

I give you here the tasting notes from SMWS:

Warm and dusty, like a hayfield at harvest time on a sunny afternoon. The taste has the sweet richness of Italian biscotti with hazelnuts and dark cherries. With water - roasted red peppers and salty/sweet flavours of a quality olive oil and balsamic bread dip.

Nose (19/25): Heavy sweetness, almost overwhelming, bordering on suffocating. A barn full of wet and sweet hay. It is all very dark, brooding, and slightly sour. The smell reminds me of wet dog, actually.

Taste (20/25): Thick and heavy sweetness carries over from the nose. A bit mono. There is some fruitiness here, but the fruit is over-ripe, and again very sweet. Add to that a slight nuttiness.

Finish (18/25): Yep, definitely mono. No development at all. A huge bag full of sweet fruits and nuts is what we get. Nothing else.

Balance (19/25): A bit of a let down, but then again - I am not exactly sure what I was expecting. It is not a bad whisky, but it is lacking something. The dreaded X factor, maybe...

Score (76/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas