Strathisla 1960 (Gordon & MacPhail)

Merry Christmas everyone.

We’ll celebrate with a deeply sherried Strathisla 1960, from an era when sherry casks were still fairly simple, I guess.

Strathisla 1960 (43%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘Rare Vintage’ 2012, sherry butt)

Nose: I love this rich, slightly heady sherried character. Lots of prunes, figs and raspberry jam. Ginjinha. Then hints of shoe polish, menthol and waxed oak furniture. Very juicy, with a rich brown sugar note but also an elegant sour note. Herbal notes. Whiffs of cigar boxes.

Mouth: a similar sweet and sour effect (prunes, cassis, sour cherries). Hints of smoke, even tar underneath, or rather charred oak. Eucalyptus, oranges with clove. Tobacco and some very dark chocolate towards the end.

Finish: long, with a deep oaky side, liquorice, mint and blackcurrant.

Complex, full-bodied and very drinkable. The richness makes you care less about the lower ABV. Expensive. Available from The Whisky Exchange or The Whisky Barrel (or at least a similar release, hard to tell sometimes with G&M).

Score: 91/100