Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Distillery: Strathisla.
Bottler: SMWS.
Region: Scotland/Speyside Single Malt.
ABV: 57.5%. Cask Strength.
Age: 10 Years. Distilled in October 2010.
Cask type: Bourbon Hogshead (8Y), First Fill Oloroso Hogshead.
Nose: Cream and caramel— sticky sugars galore with caramel sauce, birthday cake frosting, and vanilla puddling; subtle notes of strawberry and banana with a touch of mint chocolate.
Palate: Medium-bodied, creamy and sweet with canned birthday cake frosting and fruitier notions of cherries and strawberry; spicy on the mid-palate with cinnamon, pepper, and ginger; drying toward the end with a tingling spice, wood chips, and hints of a burning candle wick.
Finish: Medium-length with sugary delights, wood, and pepper.
Mental Image: A Very Merry Unbirthday Party.
Conclusion: I recall enjoying this well enough when poured at a local whisky club tasting— but I could not recall why when I finally poured it again. Despite coming back a few more times to wrap up my notes and hopefully recapture something about why I had initially thought highly of it, I was flummoxed. It did have a lovely creamy quality on the nose and palate, but it was cloyingly sweet with an overabundance of saccharine notes. The spicy arrival on the mid-palate was a good diversion, though it lingered a bit too long so that drying wood notes and spirited peppered carried through on the finish.
Overall, it was not bad, but I would not seek it out or even accept a pour unless a friend really prevailed on me to give it another chance. Cask bombs like this are rarely to my taste though; so if you like a big sherry maturation, you may find more here to love.
Final Score: 76.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 