Home of Chivas and one of the prettiest distilleries in the world – this 9 year old Strathisla has slumbered for 9 years in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel. Light & Delicate profile.
Nose: Cotton fresh with camomile and linen sheets. Sweetness is derived from light toffee, and a punnet of red fruits – raspberries and strawberries. Throughout that’s grassiness and light earth. The addition of water makes for a crisp and slightly mineral outlook, with additional cask influence of white pepper.
Taste: Soft and fruit-forward – with more emphasis on tropical notes now – pineapple, banana, both dripped with lemon juice. There’s a creaminess here – vanilla custard and soft-peaked meringues – I guess those melt in the mouth. Reduced adds a slightly syrupy texture to the fruit elements – like they’re tinned in juice, as well as emphasising the ex-bourbon cask with a light pepperiness.
Finish: Short to medium, with citrus tang, pepper and just a touch of tannins.
This Strathisla is straight-forward but effective. It has a crisp and clean flavour profile which is ideally suited as an introduction to warm summery evening – and in the UK it seems like we’re having (and will have) plenty of those.