Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Strathisla

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Strathisla distillerie
Strathisla Distillery
Keith,
Banffshire AB55 3BS
+44 1542 783 044

Owner: Pernod-Ricard
Creation date 1786

photos

The Strathisla distillery was founded by George Taylor and Alexander Milne under the name of Milltown Distillery in 1786.
The distillery was acquired in 1828 by William Lonmore, after having been the property of McDonalds, Ingram & Co.
A fire destroyed it in 1879.
Between 1870 and 1890, the distillery was temporarily called Strathisla, but it has been renamed Milton.
Its definitive "Strathisla" name dates from 1949, when it was taken over by James Barclay, from the Chivas Brothers group, which in 1949 was part of Seagrams, owned by Sam Bronfman.
Chivas Brothers came into being in 1858 as a provisions shop in King Street, Aberdeen, founded by brothers James and John Chivas from Overtown of Dudwick in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
The distillery doubled its production capacity in 1965.
Strathisla is one of the most picturesque distilleries from Scotland.
On 15 June 1993, an unexpected visitor arrived from Louisville, Kentucky: a black and white cat who fell asleep between some bourbon casks traveling to Scotland. When the container was opened 4 weeks later, the cat came out, weaken by hunger and drunken by the hints of bourbon in the container. People at the distillery adopted it after the legal quarantine, and named it Dizzy. The cat got the job of mice hunter.
The distilleries from "The Chivas and Glenlivet Group", belonging to Seagram were acquired by the French group "Pernod-Ricard" on 19 December 2001.
The main part of the single malt is used in the blends Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

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Strathisla
12 years


Age
12 years
Alcohol
43°
Bottler
Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
This malt is part of the "Heritage Selection" collection.
The colour is gold with amber glints, the nose is light and marked by the wood and sherry.
The palate is full and dry, but rather pleasant.
The finish, on fruit, is of an average length. A classical single malt, where the mouth dominates the nose.

(la Maison du Whisky)

One of the most beautifully distilleries of Scotland, settled in the very heart of Speyside. The single malt represents about 2% of the marketed spirits, and I did not expect such a great malt.
This whisky, not too expensive, is really excellent. A real must. Matured in sherry casks (I did not really detect sherry hints), the sweet and remarkably balanced whisky offers very pleasant honey hints, and the long finish prolongs the pleasure for minutes. 

A rather sweet nose with some citrus hints, followed by a nice palate, dominated by a certain complex sweetness, allying honey with green apples and malt to red berries. A finish of average length, and strangely salted, a surprise after all that sweetness.


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Strathisla: independent bottlings

Strathisla
Taste Still
1967

Age
38 years
Alcohol
44,5°
Bottler
Taste Still
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Strathisla 1967 Taste Still

A very clear nose, very fresh: cut grass, and a slight smell of plum. A very nice palate, extremely fresh, fruity, with a mix of exotic fruits, pineapple, banana, and a sweet malty background. Very few bitterness for a whisky having spent 40 years in a wooden cask. The finish is rather long, and parodoxically the expected woody hints expected in the mouth appear now, even if they remain discrete. A long development on moka or coffee notes.

What a nice nose. Very nice combination of smells perfectly balanced. Flowers, brewer's yeast, malt and a touch of grapefruit are just some of them. Spicy hints also.
The mouth is slightly down the nose, and very soon some woody/chocolate hints appear. From the first dry impression, the palate gets quickly oily. Very balanced and nuanced whole.
The finish is long and pleasant, with no hint of alcohol. Just malty happiness with discrete hints of walnut. The finish is paradoxically richer than the mouth was.
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Strathisla
Auld Distillers collection
distilled in 1976
Cask #4222


Age
30 years
Alcohol
61,1°
Bottler
Jack Wieber
Particularity
Dark Sherry
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Strathisla Jack Wieber 30
The nose is nicely marked by vanilla and hints of humid wood. Very complex, it develops on vegetal mentholated notes, with hints of green apple. The mouth is pleasant and marked by woody bitterness, before developing on chocolate hints ant then on nice fruity notes. Despite the high percentage of alcohol, this whisky remains extraordinary smooth in the palate. The finish is long and remarkably smooth to, if one considers the alcohol percentage. This bottling is a complete success..

The nose is both peppery and sweet. A kind of spicy fruit cake. Very nice impression, rather complex and well build with a very interesting balance between the malty smoothness and very nice fruity notes. All this besides the clear sherry notes.
In the palate, the first impression is some citrus acidity. Then both woody and clearly acid hints follow, a real firework of tastes, very interesting contrasts. A delightful impression, a perfect marriage of fruits, wood and freshness.
The finish is of the same quality as the nose and the mouth. Nice length, perfect balance between notes which first seemed to be really contradictory.

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Strathisla
Auld Distillers collection
distilled in 1969


Age
34 years
Alcohol
56,3°
Bottler
Jack Wieber
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Strathisla 34 ans Jack Wieber
The nose is clearly marked by sherry with very pleasant and rather complex hints of malt and toffee. In the palate a wonderful impression of very fine wood, a nice complexity swinging between nutty hints and a fresher slight acidity. The finish is amazingly long. Very nice, both smooth and full of character, a light woody bitterness and some memories of sherry. This bottle is remarkable for its balance and complexity.
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Strathisla
1967
(Bottled 2004)


Age
No Age statement
Alcohol
40°
Bottler
Gordon & MacPhail
Price/litre =25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros
Strathisla 1967 Gordon & MacPhail
This nose is simply great. An impressive smoothness with the right proportion of nutty bitterness and just enough character to be really very very pleasant. Some nice touches of sherry and pudding hints.
In the palate, a very nice contrast between a light acidity and a woody bitterness (much more present than at the nosing) give this whisky an impressive complexity. It remains very smooth.
The finish is lingering and a very fine and pleasant woody hint is still present. Amazing how this woody character is not over dominant after so many years.
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Strathisla
40 years old


Age
40 years
Alcohol
40°
Bottler
Gordon & MacPhail
Price/litre =25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Strathisla 40
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Strathisla
Old Malt Cask
1975
Cask #375


Age
28 years
Alcohol
50°
Bottler
Douglas Laing
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Strathisla Old Malt Cask
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Strathisla
Astral Hits


Age
40 years
Alcohol
47,2°
Bottler
Daily Dram
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Strathisla Astral Hits
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Speyside

Speyside Map

The Speyside area is situated at the North of the Cairngorm mountain and goes to the Moray firth. It is delimited by two rivers: the Findhorn at the West side and the Deveron on the East side.
The area is named after the river Spey. Most of the distilleries take their water in one of its affluents; the Fiddich, the Livet or the Avon.
About sixty distilleries from Speyside are described on this site.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information
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