SMWS toasts IWSC awards success

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has won three medals at this year’s International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). The Society took home one gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

The gold winning bottle, Cask No. 112.145: Flex the glove, was a 20-year-old Highland malt that had been matured for 14 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead and which we transferred this to a second fill oloroso hogshead for the remainder of its maturation.

Silver medal winning Cask No. 53.522: Islay onigiri also underwent a period of additional maturation, spending 11 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead before we transferred it to a second fill bourbon barrel for a further year of maturation.

Bronze medallist Cask No. 6.89: Austrian coffee break had 13 years of maturation in an ex-bourbon hogshead before we transferred it into a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead for a further six years of maturation.

One of the IWSC judges, Richard Paterson, said the awards highlighted the continued importance of wood management, noting that while “the cask is king”, the best examples were those where oak supported rather than overwhelmed the character of the distillate.

GOLD
Cask No. 112.145: Flex the glove, 95 points – Still available in the UK and EU!

SILVER
Cask No. 53.522: Islay onigiri, 91 points

BRONZE
Cask No. 6.89: Austrian coffee break

Read more about the IWSC results here