SMWS 36.155 Marmalade in a Nutshell Single Malt Scotch Whisky

let’s begin

Released in celebration of Burns’ Night earlier this year, the SMWS 36.155 Marmalade in a Nutshell is an intense exploration of all things orange.

Scotch Malt Whisky Society

SMWS, or Scotch Malt Whisky Society, are an independent bottler who likes to put their own twist on the malts they release.

They have been around since 1983 and they have been releasing really brilliant drams for their members ever since. A lot of what they do is bringing rare and exclusive malts to the wider Whisky community.

The brand is well known for their labelling, with every bottle given a different code that relates to the distillery it was made in and how many casks they have had from that distillery previously… 38.155 is therefore the 155th cask from distillery 38. They also recently introduced colour coding of labels in an effort to be more open and transparent with consumers about their drams. As well as this, each is given a quirky name that tries to capture the flavour profile of the whisky.

Everything about the label and bottle creates a character for the malt inside. SMWS have been very successful at making themselves stand out for the intrigue they create as well as the high quality malts they produce.

SMWS 36.155 Marmalade in a Nutshell Single Malt Scotch Whisky

One such malt is Marmalade in a Nutshell. We know from the code, 36.155 that this malt has been created in the Speyside distillery Benrinnes. It was first laid down to mature in 1997.

It was bottled at 20 years old and 185 bottles were released in 2019. Now let’s get to the really important stuff.

Tasting notes for SMWS 36.155 Marmalade in a Nutshell

As the name suggests, this malt is packed with orange notes. It brims with the tangy citrus fruit from the get go.

The nose is bright and refreshing, with dashes of orange oil and sandalwood. The aromas are really well defined. There is a slight hint of nuts, with brazil nuts and almonds making an appearance. These are oily and chewy, adding a lovely texture to the aroma.

The palate is full of limes and oranges accompanied by a note of spicy ginger. There is a definite marmalade flavour, with all its sweetness. Subtle hints of granary bread and malted barley makes the flavour complete.

More spices appear, with a hint of hazelnuts and cake. It is simply amazing. The orange never overwhelms but melts into the other flavours harmoniously.

The finish is full of rich nuts and a dash of orange oil. They complement each other endlessly.

This is yet another brilliant malt from SMWS and will have all citrus fans going wild. The flavour is intense but not too much. Highly recommend for the quality alone.

Flavors:https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=10939&awinaffid=455457&p=%5B%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.smws.com%2Fflavours%5D%5D

Berried-alive: https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=10939&awinaffid=455457&p=%5B%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.smws.com%2Fberried-alive%5D%5D

Plum sauce rancio-fest:https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=10939&awinaffid=455457&p=%5B%5Bhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.smws.com%2Fplum-sauce-rancio-fest%5D%5D

What are your thoughts on SMWS? Have you tried any of their malts or want to tell us what you think of the labelling system? Start the conversation in the comments!

Tags: burns nightMarmalade in a NutshellSMWSSMWS 36.155

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.