If you have not yet come across The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s bottle code G16 before, that’s because it is brand new – and it will most likely not be used all too often! After all, it refers to a special breed of grain whisky made at an urban production site that normally produces malt whisky only:Glasgow Distillery. However, the curious whisky makers there experiment with other styles from time to time, too. And that is how the SMWS’s first-ever G16 bottling came to be, which is a small batch release called “Dark ‘n’ stormy creme brulee”. As I learned on Instagram, the drop was made on a pot still using a mashbill that consisted of 60% corn, 20% malted rye, and 20% malted barley. Afterwards, it slept for 6 years in virgin American oak casks (char level 4). As a big fan of Glasgow Distillery’s original 1770  Whisky, the crazy origin story to this one-of-a-kind product was enough to make me hop over to the SMWS’s webshop and place an order. When I got my bottle, I did not leave it closed for too long … my eagerness to try this special sip was too strong! And yeah, it’s a really nice one. A peculiar one, no doubt. But a nice one!

by Tobi

---

Eye: Light, yellowish brown.
Nose: Fruity! Upon a shortcrust pastry base, there’s all kinds of juicy goods spread out: halved apricots, pureed apples, yellow plums, crunchy grapes, baked pineapples. Green twigs and spring-time grasses add a green component to the mix. Here and there, the occasional whiff of crumbled brittle gives the bouquet additional weight and depth. Most of the time, the dram’s bouquet presents itself perky and lively. Yet, it also takes a turn into a dryish direction now and then – this twist appears whenever the underlying spices rise to the front for no more than a brief moment.
Palate: On the tongue, the offered fruits become more exotic. At this stage, I get canned peaches, soft mangos, meaty papayas, and – again – baked pineapples. Over all these fruits lies a thick blanket of gooey vanilla sauce. In good ol’ grain tradition, I now also taste fair amounts of modeling clay and gummi bears. Regarding its complexion, the liquid is somewhat milky (yet light). And concerning its character, it is pretty vibrant and colorful. One more thing to mention: Though there are some classic grain notes to be found in the “Dark ‘n’ stormy creme brûlée”, I would not describe it as a typical specimen of this category. And how could it be, considering the fact that it was distilled on a pot still rather than a continuous still?
Finish: The finish is medium long at least; probably more. It is filled with the dancing, prancing flavors of sliced apples, green bananas, firm-to-the-bite grapes, sugared lemons, fresh-cut ginger slices, and those mint-flavored bonbons that instantly make your breath as clear as a breeze. Plus a big spoonful of clotted cream.

---

---

Type: Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Distillery: Glasgow Distillery
Region: Scotland (Lowlands)
Age: 6 years
Alc. volume: 50 per cent
Cask type: Oak casks
Code: G16 Rare Release
# of bottles: 1,300
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price: ~70.00 Euro
More info: https://www.smws.com/ (Bottler) ; https://www.glasgowdistillery.com/ (Distillery)

*** I bought the bottle myself as a regular customer. ***