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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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September 29, 2021 |
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I think we've tried more Strathmill within the last two years than any time before. Remember, "There are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last" (Lance Armstrong). |
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Strathmill 12 yo 2008/2020 (46%, The Whisky Lodge, Orcines) 
Picture of another bottling by The Whisky Lodge's lovely Orcines range. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure cake-y young Speysider that's full of pear tarte, apple crumble, vanilla fudge, brioche, weissbeer, nougat and buttered popcorn. All this popcorn would suggest that you could bring this in your favourite hipflask whenever you go to the movies. Maybe not to watch Cannes' latest Palme d'Or, you would probably spill it all over the carpet. Mouth: like! Lemon tarte with meringue, queen of tartes. Excellently barley-y and citrusy, almost refreshing, with a little butterscotch, pancakes and scones. Absolutely lovely. Finish: medium, still very bready, with a little cinnamon and nutmeg, then lemon marmalade in the aftertaste. Comments: excellent young malt al natural from a cask that did its job to perfection. A honest, humble whisky that's not humble at all, if you see what I mean. Great surprise (but it goes down fast, that's the thing with those 46% vol.)
SGP:451 - 87 points. |
This started faster than I had expected… |
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Strathmill 10 yo 2008/2018 (59.3%, James Eadie, recharred hogshead, cask # 806272, 266 bottles) 
Oh by the way, I would suspect the Orcines came from a properly recharred cask too. Colour: straw. Nose: a little hot and varnishy at first – I'm sure that's the high strength – but all these croissants, brioches, shortbreads and banana skins work well already. With water: some grasses, grape pip oil, stems ans stalks… what you do feel here is that you would need a lot of time and almost an electronic pipette to bring this one down to an ideal strength. And in a way, that you're doing a part of the bottler's job (joking a wee bit…) Mouth (neat): a tad hot indeed. A little unpleasant because of the very high strength. Raw eau-de-vie and vodka. With water: we manage but we'll never get to the ideal balance that the Orcines was displaying. I'm a bit stuck on heavyish beer notes at 55, 50 and even 45%. And days have only 24 hours… (LOL). Finish: good length. Grassy bread. Comments: it's not that I've decided to throw in the towel, but in tasting conditions, you do need to be 'a little faster'. And I remember J. Eadie's 11/2009 oloroso, that one was really something else! (WF 88)
SGP:461 - 82 points. |
Please an older Strathmill, perhaps one from Cadenhead's latest heyday… |
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Strathmill 27 yo 1991/2019 (51.2%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 678 bottles) 
This one baby stems from three bourbon hogsheads. Colour: straw. Nose: not the most active casks on earth, this is almost a wee tad vinegary at first, while it would then gear towards bone-dry cider, with whiffs of honeysuckle and beehive, sourdough, baker's yeast, apple skins, sweetened turnips and salsifies, and just sweet English white bread. With water: oh, baked eggplants and more salsifies. We could almost make a gratin. Or Scottish moussaka? Mouth (neat): very fine but it's lacking the immaculateness of the young Orcines. Lemon juice, sauvignon blanc, green gooseberries, more apple skins and a tiny pinch of salt. Pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. Doesn't quite feel 27 so far. With water: the vegetables are back. Artichoke leading the pack, then eggplants indeed. Finish: long and grassy. Comments: a style that you would have found in old bottlings of Glendullan or, say Glen Spey. Perhaps a little too cerebral? Now in the words of Mick J., 'but I like it'.
SGP:461 - 83 points. |
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