Here’s a recent Malts of Scotland release with a slightly different presentation (tube and different label) as it is a joint bottling with The Whisky Agency. This Strathisla 1970 was bottled from a dark sherry hogshead and presented at the recent Whisky Fair in Limburg.
Would you believe this is the most recent Strathisla I’ve made notes of?
All the others were 1960’s distillation.
Strathisla 40 yo 1970 (59,6%, Malts of Scotland & The Whisky Agency 2011, sherry hogshead, 109 btl.)
Strathisla 40 yo 1970 (59,6%, Malts of Scotland & The Whisky Agency 2011, sherry hogshead, 109 btl.)Nose: very intense oloroso aromas. Dried fruits (raisins and figs) and liquorice. A hint of cherry liqueur. Fruit jams. Melon with Port. After a while it shows more nutty notes and some tobacco. Some butterscotch and cigar boxes. Clean and quite excellent: heavy sherry the way it should be.
Mouth: lots of oomph and very concentrated. Water required! Still big, with plenty of dried fruits, some herbal notes and resin. Liquorice and walnut liqueur. Prunes. Dark chocolate. A little cough syrup. A rather ‘dark’ palate. A dry mouthfeel overall but it returns to lovely jammy flavours towards the end.
Finish: very long, with the same dark and dry sherry theme.
This kind of sherry can only be expected of Strathisla and a handful of other distilleries like GlenDronach. Very good (especially the nose) but quite expensive as well. Around € 300.
Score: 91/100