SMWS 10.188 ‘New Acquaintance’ 14-year-old

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) acts as an independent bottler and prides itself on highlighting the merits of “cask-strength, naturally bottled whiskies”. The number in the whisky’s name describes the distillery from which it came and its cask number. In this case, look up the society’s list and you’ll find that the ‘10’ tells us ‘New Acquaintance’ came from Bunnahabhain, cask No. 188. SMWS is particularly good at choosing casks to bottle – I’m yet to taste a bad one. The downsides are that you have to be a member to buy a bottle and, if you like it, it’s very hard to get another bottle. ‘New Acquaintance’ stood up to the benchmark. The high alcohol content is more prominent on the nose than the mouth. Adding to the nose is the smell of a rain-filled ashtray and Mayceys Pink Smoker sweets.

It is a spectacularly drinkable cask-strength Islay.