Glenlossie SMWS 46.47 “Mexican breakfast”

This is a continuation of my ongoing series that I’m calling “Scotch Malts, Wife’s Selection”, in which my wife goes through my backlog of SMWS (Scotch Malt Whisky Society) samples that I haven’t reviewed yet, pours them blind, and then I review it blind.

The idea of a Mexican breakfast seems almost perfect to me. All the great aspects of Mexican food, and then an egg to pretend like it’s breakfast. I get beans, so I’m happy, and there’s tortillas. You’d have to be a monster to not enjoy that.

Suffice to say, Glenlossie SMWS 46.47 “Mexican breakfast” takes that idea and runs with it. Does it taste like a wonderful mixture of cheese, beans, great spices, a culture that has been influenced by Spain as well as different Native cultures through hundreds of years to bring us amazing spices, and an egg? We’ll have to see.

What I mean is the idea of taking two things I enjoy (breakfast and Mexican food) and putting them together. In this case, it’s Oloroso sherry maturation and a finish of PX sherry.

“But TOModera”, I hear you say, from my computer, and then run from the room to get my mediation, “You said you’re not the biggest Oloroso sherry fan”. Well I like it when it has time to mature. Which it has here.

And I like finishes with PX sherry. Which this has.

Yeah, I can’t eat eggs, so a Mexican breakfast is wasted on me and I have to order something else, but I can still have some things off the menu, dammit.

Let’s just get to the whisky, I went in an odd direction on this one. Maybe I’m hungry.

Price: $151.99 CAD

Region: Speyside

Date Distilled: May 2002

Age: 14 years

Cask Type: 13 years in Oloroso sherry butt, then 1 year in 1st fill PX sherry butt

Outturn: 600

Abv: 59.8%

Colour: 7.5YR 5/10

Nose: Orange, thyme, oak, buttery

Subtle. At first I’m worried about a weak, orange heavy nose. Given time though, this gives thyme.

I’m witty (said in a dumb voice).

More time gives a balance of butter, spice, and a little orange. Not the sherry bomb I was expecting.

Taste: Caramel cake, cantaloupe, cinnamon spread, plum, papaya

Here’s where this dram opens up. Lots of complexity here with cake like notes dominating. Tons of fruit. Nice spice rounds it out, good balance of rich fruits and tropical fruits eventually come out as well.

Finish: Caliente cinnamon candy, Johnny cakes, green onions, brown sugar cereal

Quite hot, though not in a rough way. The cake flavours continue, with more yeast notes in it. Then an earth note, and eventually some molasses. It’s an odd one.

Conclusion: Not huevos rancheros at all. Sure, some of the earth may be beans to some, however the cinnamon and thyme don’t carry it enough to make me think that.

Honestly though, the taste and finish, ignoring the nose, are the most interesting parts. You have the lighter, fruit notes of the Oloroso, yet with those wonderful strong notes from the PX.

Love the complexity, I just wish the nose had been ramped up.

85/100

Guess: Benromach?

Actually: Glenlossie SMWS 46.47 “Mexican breakfast”

Scotch review #803, Speyside review #231, Whisky Network review #1310