THE CREATORS COLLECTION

Whispers of Spring

Spring is in the air with the new release from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s Creators Collection. As Duncan Gorman writes, this quartet of exquisite old whiskies captures the season when life stirs from its slumber, our senses are awakened through light and growth, and we are attuned to appreciate the delicate beauty of these four outstanding whiskies, left to mature to perfection over decades in refill wood

PHOTOS: MIKE WILKINSON

PICTURED: The Society’s Whispers of Spring bottlings from our new Creators Collection release

Whispers of Spring: A journey of reawakening, the Society’s new Creators Collection, captures the subtle yet powerful energy of the season.

These whiskies invite members to rediscover the depth and diversity of Scotch, with each one of these distilleries contributing a unique expression of rebirth and transformation, offering a fresh perspective on timeless traditions. However, Whispers of Spring is more embodied by the collection’s distinctive character than distillery history, as SMWS head of whisky creation Euan Campbell explains.

“Sometimes it’s fun to explore the technical and process side of whisky, and sometimes it’s best to let the whisky take you to a time and place and simply revel in sheer enjoyment,” he says. “Our Whispers of Spring bottles do just that. These whiskies present you with fresh floral aromas, juicy fruits and green shoots. They all carry significant age statements and are perfect contemplative drams, to enjoy while considering the year ahead and what spring renewal will bring.”

CASK NO. 50.120: DAWN’S EMBRACE

Cask No. 50.120: Dawn’s embrace offers a delicate balance of oak, vanilla and a light, honeyed sweetness. At 34 years of age, it has reduced naturally to a cask strength of 53.4% abv. Dawn’s embrace is also one of the Society’s ultra small-batch whiskies (USB) and has an intriguing story. Once scattered across 13 separate casks that had fallen mysteriously low in volume, this vintage spirit was vatted before being consolidated into five of the barrels, giving a new lease of life to the spirit and allowing for a longer maturation. This refill bourbon is one of those barrels. Distillery 50 also boasts its own journey of reawakening, with the distillery having been closed and reopened multiple times.

ABOVE: Cask No. 50.120: Dawn’s embrace is a 34-year-old whisky with an intriguing backstory

CASK NO. 94.51: VERDANT REAWAKENING

With a complex interplay of fresh, grassy notes, citrus zest and a touch of sweetness, Cask No. 94.51: Verdant reawakening is the perfect embodiment of spring. As with every bottle in this collection, the use of a refill cask has allowed for the distillery’s distillate to take centre stage, even after a maturation period of 27 years. Distillery 94 is known for producing a distillate unique from the rest of Scotch whisky, thanks to the inventive cooling ring used on its stills. The spirit is refined by additional reflux caused by the cold water pouring down the neck of the stills, a process unlike anything else in Scotland. Distilled in March 1997, this spirit has fallen to 55.8% abv within a refill bourbon hogshead, slotting nicely into our Sweet, Fruity & Mellow flavour profile. Our Tasting Panel imagined sitting in a cocktail bar in Havana, beside a beeswax-polished walnut fruit bowl piled high with pineapples, nectarines and mangoes.

CASK NO. 72.125: BLOSSOM REVERIE

Inspired by the blooming orchards that herald the arrival of spring, Cask No. 72.125: Blossom reverie is a tribute to the fragrant blossoms that adorn the Speyside landscape. Falling into the Light & Delicate flavour profile, this dram evokes the daydreams of spring, where the air is filled with the promise of new beginnings and the joy of rediscovery. Coming in at a natural cask strength of 49.6% abv, this bottling is another addition to the Society’s range of USBs and was vatted at 28 years before being matured in a refill bourbon hogshead for a further year. After nosing, the Tasting Panel found a heavenly mix of golden syrup, honeycomb and milk chocolate biscuits. On the palate a sprinkle of brown sugar tantalised the tongue before being joined by bursts of lime and chamomile petals.

ABOVE: Whispers of Spring captures the powerful energy of the season of reawakening

CASK NO. 105.55: CREPUSCULAR COMPLEXITY

Cask No. 105.55: Crepuscular complexity is by far the rarest bottling Whispers of Spring has to offer. With only 122 bottles to come from this refill bourbon hogshead, the Sweet, Fruity & Mellow dram truly is one to savour. This whisky’s contribution to the collection is one of depth and complexity, with rich, warming notes of heather, honey and a subtle smokiness.

After 35 years in cask, this spirit has drastically fallen to just 46.2% abv, making for remarkably smooth drinking. With a beautiful label to match, we found this spirit represents the lingering light of dusk, when the day transitions to night, and the promise of renewal is reflected in the sky’s colours.

The Tasting Panel noted: “Unmistakable age elevated the nose. Old Riesling, calvados, and peaches and cream in a cricket pavilion; Amarena cherry ice cream, green apple shisha tobacco, vanilla fudge and caramel-flavoured chocolate.”

After tasting they concluded: “The palate was delicate but stimulating – candied lemon peel and spiced oranges in syrup, tinned pears, rhubarb rock and apricot flan – before a warm, dry finish of liquorice, nasturtium flowers, leather and wood.”

Look out for Whispers of Spring: A journey of reawakening this April. To find out more about The Creators Collection, visit smws.com/the-creators-collection/