Douglas Laing acquired Strathearn distillery in 2019. It is one of Scotland’s smallest distilleries (no more than a barrel of spirit produced each day). We already tried it a couple of years ago, but that was mostly the work of the previous owner. Their new symbol is an acorn – which explains the bottle design.
Strathearn’s inaugural release (which will become an ongoing expression) is a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry casks and virgin oak, with a maturation between six and eight years. Strathearn uniquely uses Maris Otter malt, mostly forgotten since the 1960s.
This 2024 release is a composition of 32 casks. That’s it for this year, there will probably be no other releases for a while.
Strathearn Single Malt – Inaugural Release (50%, OB 2024, triple cask matured)
Nose: a pleasant start on creamy vanilla, fresh peaches and hints of honey. Bright apple juice and whiffs of bramble in the distance. Then also a slightly plankish hint of virgin oak, with pencil shavings as well, but easy to overcome. Hints of soaked grains and grist, with butterscotch and whiffs of pizza dough.
Mouth: a rather grainy and woody onset, but then it displays a very oily, creamy texture with lots of vanilla notes. Custard, cooked fruits, pastry notes and buttery Sablés from Normandy. Then cinnamon, nutmeg and slightly thinner herbal notes towards the end.
Finish: good length. Still some ginger and pepper, with biscuits and light hints of chocolate in the very end.
This ‘other’ inaugural release of Strathearn is still a bit too focused on new oak, but it also showcases a creamy and fruity spirit that could really shine at a higher age. Older than most inaugural releases of course, but certainly better than the previous bottling. Promising for the future. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies for instance.