Strathisla 8 Years Old (70° Proof)

The Strathisla 8 Years Old must have been one of the regular common malts in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Many versions exist (some with a subtle floral print above and below the label for example), all bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in one of their semi-official series.

Strathisla 8 yo ‘70° Proof’ (40%, Gordon & MacPhail 1970’s, 26 3/4 fl. oz)

Nose: not extremely assertive, but a nice, rather naked distillate nonetheless. Lots of hay and dried flowers. Hints of muesli. Some cooked apple. Simple pleasures.

Mouth: again not too bold. Sweet apples, lots of malty notes. A little mint and pepper. Also a bit of a floral, almost perfumy side.

Finish: medium long. Most of the sweetness is gone, and some dry grainy notes stay behind.

A simple malt without flaws but without any special flair as well. Comes close to other low-budget malts from these days, like the common Glen Grant 5 Year Olds. It shows that things weren’t always better in the old days.

Score: 77/100