July 27, 2015

Old styles, old Strathislas

I don’t think we’ve done a Strathisla session recently, have we? It’s true that the brand is very quiet these days, it’s all about Glenlivet at Chivas Bros’. I’m even wondering if G&M do not sell more Strathisla than the owners. And I remember well the white label around 1980. We had Cardhu ‘white label’, Glenfiddich, and Strathisla ‘white label’. Oh and nasty blends.

Strathisla 35 yo (43%, OB, Bicentenary, 1986, 75cl)

A rare bottling, done by Chivas Brothers to celebrate the bicentenary of Strathisla Distillery, founded 1786. Distilled around 1950, I wager. Colour: gold. Nose: oh lovely overripe apples and soft honey (and honeycomb, beeswax)… Plus some light OBE, rather of the tea-ish and metallic kind. Copper, old coins, apple crumble, very ripe kiwis, then more blond tobacco (Virginia) and a slightly sour, winey side that hints at sherry. Am I dreaming or they added drops of old Chablis to this? A very elegant nose, rather complex, and delicately un-modern. Mouth: the oak’s a little loud, perhaps, and there are bags and bags of apple peelings, green tea, green peppercorns and orange zests. But what’s behind that, that is to say this mellow honeyness and all this spicy compote works very well. A touch of cinnamon, then plain oak. A little bitter. Finish: rather long given the strength, spicy and slightly bitter. The aftertaste is a little drying and too mentholated, which often goes together. Comments: it started very well but I find this old baby a little too oaky for my taste. Maybe more a collectable than a drinking star? SGP:471 - 83 points.

You may be wondering why we’ll have this one after the older OB. I’d say the answer lies in the tasting notes…

Strathisla 30 yo 1954/1984 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, 75cl)

Colour: gold. Nose: starts rather similar, with a little incense, all things honeyed, some tobacco and some overripe apples, but there’s little OBE this time, and this nose is as bright as if it was bottled yesterday. A lot of pollen and nectar, quinces, sultanas, then drops of cough syrup and powerful chestnut honey. A slight meaty side (ham?) and a little chicken soup – with parsley. Very lovely nose. Mouth: easily beats the OB. Softer, rounder, fruitier, more honeyed and, above all, much less oaky. Some pipe tobacco, orange cake, all things from a beehive, drops of old Sauternes, apple pie, a touch of liquorice, even a little salt… What’s more, the low strength never feels. Finish: quite long, clean, honeyed, delicately spicy. Cinnamon sweets, wax, oranges, apples, a touch of white pepper… It’s only in the aftertaste that a little green tea shows up. Comments: these old Strathislas by G&M used to be gems – and the prices were very fair! It was another very fine example… SGP:551 - 89 points.

More of this old breed before we try a contemporary old one…

Strathisla 42 yo 1954 (40%/80 US proof, Gordon & MacPhail, for John Gross Baltimore, +/-1996)

Colour: dark gold. Nose: oooh… This is stunning! It’s even more complex than the 30, absolutely not tired, rather bright and vibrant, with blood oranges, these hints of old copper coins indeed (pennies, of course), honeydew rather than honey, honeysuckle and lime tree blossom, all ripe plums of the creation, and whiffs of old late harvest Gewurztraminer. Am I an Alsatian or what? After ten minutes, it’s rather old cigars, parsley, sandalwood, cedar wood… Perfect! Mouth: perfect indeed. Granted, the oak’s more prominent this time, but the honeys and the fruits more than support it. Fruit soup, crystallised tangerines, citrons, sultanas, some liquorice wood (the oak talking), honeydew again, a little sap, a little putty, a little triple-sec by a good maker, dried figs… It’s amazing how youthful it remained, and yet its very mature and complex. The casks must have been perfect, probably refill sherry of exquisite provenance. Finish: unexpectedly long and mouth-filling, with ripe apples, a little fudge, spicy oranges, tobacco and a grittier cedar wood in the aftertaste. Comments: this is why we need age statements and/or vintages. Mind you, 1954, that’s when Elvis made his first radio broadcast. It’s important to know that, isn’t it! SGP:561 - 91 points.

And now, a modern one by a good house!

Strathisla-Glenlivet 25 yo 1989//2015 (42.7%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 150 bottles)

Cadenhead always like to add ‘Glenlivet’ after some of their, err, Speysides. I guess the cask was stencilled that way. One day, they’ll come up with an Ardbeg-Glenlivet by mistake, and it’ll become the most collectable Ardbeg ever. But shhh… Colour: gold. Nose: this is completely different. We’re having crème au beurre (you may call that butter cream), vanilla fudge, café latte (not from Starbuck’s mind you), a curious herbal combination (hay, asparagus, woodruff), and then vin jaune. That is to say these sourish touches of green walnuts and, well, green walnuts. Unusual, interesting, and likeable. But at this strength and with a nose like this, the palate could be troublesome… Mouth: it’s an exact copy of the nose, descriptor for descriptor. Very unusual, buttery, coffee-ish, herbal, slightly sour, with some old oak but also sweets and liquorice allsorts, green tea, and vin jaune. Or, if you prefer, manzanilla pastrana (old style, lightly filtered). Finish: rather long, with the miracle. The miracle is that the oak did not take over. Comments: an unusual winesky, or wisky-wine. It’s not that its an ex-sherry cask or else, but the style reminds me of some wines. Like, indeed, vin jaune, or Noilly Prat. It’s so unusual that it’s hard to score. Let’s remain conservative, George. SGP:461 - 85 points.

Good, we already had quite a few old low-strength Straths, let’s call this a session. But first, let’s have a stronger one, and we’ll be done.

Strathisla 27 yo 1979/2007 (55.7%, Signatory Vintage, refill sherry butt, cask #1534, 605 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Not much sherry. Nose: it’s clean, but kind of middle-of-the-road soft and fruity Speyside. That the cask hasn’t been very active is an understatement, but that works well with characterful distillates. Not too sure that’s the case with Strathisla. Barley water, tinned pears, sweet almonds (some kind of Italian liqueur), ripe apples, plums… With water: grass, lemongrass, paraffin. Mouth (neat): same, average good-quality Speysider, a little peary given the respectable age, sweetly barleyish. Gooseberries, plums. With water: more sweet barley, lemon liqueur, grapefruits… That’s nice. Finish: rather long, grassy, lemony… Comments: typically what you’d call ‘a very fine drop’, but perhaps more a cask that would go well for an old blend. Just wondering. SGP:451 - 80 points.

(and Patrick, encore mille mercis!)