Small Batch Bottlers Scotland Strathmill Tasting Notes

Small Batch Bottlers Scotland Strathmill 2010(?) 10 year old 61.7%

Bourbon/ Dist: 2010(?) Btl: 2020/ Tasted Nov 2020

Tight, herbal and masked nose with hints of grain-like dried fruit and raw barley. Intense, youthful and in need of dilution.

The palate is tight and alcoholic with hints of tangerine, barley, gooseberry skin and light vanilla. Masked, slightly herbal and ferny finish.

With water i expected juicy fruit but in fact it’s still pretty raw and herbal. There’s possibly some perfumed notes but it’s still damn tight. The palate is definitely juicier with plenty of orange and tangerine. Quite sweet but simple with a short, lightly mineral finish with lingering herbal barley.

Lady of the Glen Strathmill Tasting Notes

Lady of the Glen Strathmill 2007 (11 year old) 56.8%

Bourbon Hogshead/ Tawny Port Finish (from Tanoaria Josafer)

Cask 807834/ Dist: Dec 2007 Btl: Jul 2019/ Tasted: Oct 2019

A nose of malt biscuits, smoky dried fruit and heather. Although quite sherried there’s a good weight of barley and fruit beneath. Water brings out liquorice, cinnamon and clove notes.

Quite sherried [obviously not – tasted blind] but light on its feet. Malt, barley, dried fruit and subtle treacle. Water softens but makes it rather homogenous. Finish: Neat it’s masked and very herbal with treacle and coffee. Diluted it’s drying and bland. In conclusion: Blemish free but ultimately unexciting.

Lady of the Glen Rare Cask Strathmill 2011 (11 year old) 58.7%

Wine Barrique, Refill PX Octave finish

Cask 80587501/ Dist:  Jul 2011 Btl: Aug 2022/ Tasted: Aug 2022

Aromas of earthy, gritty sherried dried fruit, treacle, wheat flakes, spice and tannin. There’s a very subtle winey orange fruit note and with time maybe a touch of barley and honey.

The palate opens with the earthy and chocolaty sherry along with wood smoke and tannin. Crystallised fruit, raisinated fruit and treacle follow. The alcohol gives a little balance but also makes the citrus notes a little astringent and edgy. Good length with lingering dried fruit.

Water makes the nose a little soapy and emphasises the citrus. The palate is also a little soapy and watery. Overall dilution hasn’t done it a lot of favours!

James Eadie Strathmill Tasting Notes

James Eadie Single Cask Strathmill 2008 (9 year old) 59%

First Fill ASB 806273/Dist: 2008 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jun 2018

A dense and orangey nose with barley, malt and hints of lime. Beautifully fresh and fleshy with a touch of green apple, fragrant peach, orange blossom honey and late malt biscuits.

The palate is soft and honeyed, again orangey with hints of marmalade, lime, orange blossom honey, sweet spice and subtle vanilla oak. The alcohol is amazingly well contained, although it does mask the finish a little. Dry, coffee and liquorice after-taste.

A drop of water simplifies the nose and brings out a subtle earthy note. However it’s still quite orangey. On the palate it emphasises the vanilla oak and honey. It really thickens the palate up beautifully and it is now an unctuous mouth-filling malt. Long and juicy with apple, pear and pepper on the finish. Delightful!

James Eadie Single Cask Strathmill 2008 (10year old) 59.3%

Re-charred Bourbon Hogshead 806272

Dist: 2008 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Nov 2018

The nose is gristy and barley’d. Pretty tight with subtle citrus, malt and toffee. With time hints of orange/ apple blossom and hyacinth appear along with some thick set honey.

The palate is tight and gristy with barley, toffee, malt and honey. Subtle liquorice notes on the middle with the honey gaining in weight and density. Masked but subtle orange/ tangerine marmalade and ginger finish.

Water makes it juicy and orangey with tangerine, Clementine, lemon and waxy orange peel. Quite restrained but ever so juicy and elegant. The palate mirrors the nose – soft, juicy and elegant with plenty of discreet orange, tangerine, Clementine and nectarine joined by very subtle oak. Long, gently spiced with vanilla, ginger, malt and roasted pepper.

James Eadie Cask Finish Strathmill 2009 (11 year old) Oloroso Finish 58.5%

9 years and 5 months in Refill Bourbon Hogshead- Finished 19 months in 1^st Fill Oloroso Butt- Cask No- 348030

Dist: May 2009 Btl Sept 2020/ Tasted: Sept 2020

A chunky nose of burnt raisin, coffee and herbal Oloros. Hints of pepper, cinnamon, treacle and loads and loads of toasty European oak.

The palate is full, toasty and treacly with rasinated fruit, cinnamon, pepper and liquorice. Very clean sherry, but it’s all about the sherry. Masked but spicy finish with lingering toasty oak.

Water brings out a touch of marmalade orange on the nose and palate along with a little more citrus and bitter coffee.

Edition Spirits Strathmill Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Strathmill 1996 (21 year old) 56.2%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: EDI10374/ HL15187

Dist: Jul 1996 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Aug 2018

The nose is a little tight with hints of barley, lime, coffee and greengage. The soft creamy oak sits beneath and with time there is a very subtle orange note.

The palate is as tight as the nose suggests with a touch of barely and creamy oak. It feels younger and fresher than 21 years, but that maybe down to it being a little masked by the alcohol. Slightly oily middle with a subtle oak and citrus finish. Maybe a touch of water will open it up?

Water bring out a touch of sugar coated orange and almond, but it’s all a bit vague and watery now. The palate shows a touch more mature barley but the creamy oak has become far too dominant and the spirit character, although pretty subtle to begin with has been lost. Short with lingering white liquorice and clotted cream.

Brave New Spirits Strathmill Tasting Notes

Cask Noir Strathmill 11 year old ‘The Mill In The Shallow Glen’ 59.8%

STR White Wine Cask

Tasted: Dec 2022

The nose is strangely subdued with no exuberant orangy character. In fact, it’s grapey and winey with straw and caramel notes. With time it becomes leafy and herbal. Very disappointing.

The palate displays barley sugar, sweet toffee and again, a subtle grapey wineness and straw. Plenty of alcohol! Masked, gritty, grippy and confected orange finish.

Water makes the nose thick, oily and cardboardy. The palate is an overdose of confected orange and slightly dirty, hard spirit character. Flat, oily finish.

Mackillop’s Choice Strathmill Tasting Notes

Mackillop’s Choice Strathmill 1997 (18 year old) 52%

Bourbon Cask 1530/ Dist: Mar 1997 Btl: Jan 2016/ Tasted: Nov 2016

A lovely nose of macerated orange, tangerine, malt, barley and hints of mature baked fruit, vanilla and minerals. Voluptuous and deep the oak and barley becomes a little grippy and it develops a slight herbal nuance.

The palate opens with the mature, macerated orange, barley and minerals. The oak displays the same gritty, grippy character that the nose showed, but the gorgeous, juicy fruit counterbalances. Intense and complex with developing notes of herbs and straw on the middle. Long and stunningly juicy with a light Cognac-esque rancio and buzzy wood spices. Breath taking!

Carn Mor Strathmill Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Strathmill 1992 (22 year old?) 52.6%

Bourbon Cask 924/ Dist: 1992 Btl: May 2015/ Tasted: May 2015

The aromas are initially quite earthy and straw-like, but then a profusion of orange, lime and aromatic barley erupts! Lightly malty with light treacle and hints of fresh, minty herbs. Beneath lies some supporting vanilla oak along with some edgy but supple spices.

The palate is a lovely mélange of soft, succulent apricot, barley and citrus. Long and lightly toffee’d with a very citric, mineral and although the alcohol bites a little on the finish it does give it a tongue tingling finale!

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Strathmill 1991 (24 year old) 46.7%

Bourbon Barrel 2317/ Dist: May 1991 Btl: Mar 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

Aromas of mature, dusty barley, baked apple and coconut. Hints of lime, gooseberry and lovely supple, herbal spice balance. With time malt, liquorice and dark chocolate appears.

The palate is quite malty and mature with stewed apple, malt, liquorice and gentle treacle notes. Darker than the nose suggests with a touch of tannin, wood spice and sweet barley on the middle. Long and lightly treacly with lingering baked fruit and finally some creamy, lightly coconutty oak. Beautifully mature.

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Strathmill 1994 (25 year old) 47.2%

Bourbon Hogshead 2297/ Dist: Jun 1994 Btl: Jan 2019/ Tasted: Apr 2019

A rich, malty and darkly honeyed nose with a touch of sawdusty American oak. Hints of oxidised apple, orange, mango and guava follow. It’s beautifully fragrant and stays malty with the fruit notes darkening with time and eventually a touch of smoked bacon and wood smoke appears.

The palate is a little more tannic to begin with, but they are quite soft and balanced by the spirit’s malty character. Dark, robust and intense with wood smoke, wood spice, treacle and subtle oxidised apple. Damn! This is really dense and mouth-filling! It lightens a bit on the finish as the barley and mature oak arrives. Gentle tropical fruit comes through too and the tannins return to give a spicy. grippy finale.

Hunter Laing Strathmill Tasting Notes

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Strathmill 1991 (21 year old) 50%

Refill Bourbon Hogshead/ Code: OMC2335/ HL10122

Dist: Dec 1991 Btl: Oct 2013/ Tasted: Nov 2013

The nose is quite earthy, oily and a bit tired with hints of vanilla (and cardboard).

The palate again feels tired with some soft citrus. Quite nutty and peppery but a little bitter with the herbal spirit coming through on the finish.

Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask Strathmill 1989 (25 year old) 50%

Refill Sherry Butt/ Code: OMC2432/ HL10978

Dist: Oct 1989 Btl: Oct 2014/ Tasted: Nov 2014

A gorgeously aromatic nose of orange, tangerine, Satsuma and luscious honey to die for! Full and fragrant with a light perfumed intimation and a touch of sweet barley. Gently but sweetly spiced with a late hint of mature, dusty oak and warm malt.

A poised and luscious palate with layers of orange fruit and honey. Hints of praline and toffee appear but the honey is the star. Lightly malted with a touch of coffee and milk chocolate. Very long with the mouth coating honey lingering and a little, lightly dusty oak joining in! Simply stunning!

Strathmill Distillery Bottlings Tasting Notes

Strathmill 12 year old 43%

Refill Sherry(?)/ Tasted: June 2012

The nose is dominated by the herbal sherry cask. A bit edgy with a touch of burnt caramel along with some barley and spice. There is a suggestion of some perfumed orange but sherry overwhelms it. 

The palate opens with the refill sherry and burnt caramel. A sliver of juicy barley pokes its head through but like the nose the sherry cask is the dominating theme. Reasonable length with some spice notes on the finish along with some bitterness from the oak. The sweet barley returns but it lacks the succulence and perfume that is common to Strathmill.

Bladnoch Forum Strathmill Tasting Notes

Bladnoch Forum Strathmill 1990 (22 year old) ?abv%

Bourbon cask 2690/ Dist: 1990 Btl: 2012/ Tasted: May 2012

The nose is a lovely infusion of straw like orange fruit with a real fruit skin, herbal, gooseberry intensity. Very herbal now with hints of perfumed flowers, silky oak and did I mention the honey? A gorgeously luscious nose with a bit of bite from the alcohol and a late coffee cream note. 

The palate opens with the luscious straw like satsuma, orange and apricot fruit, all wonderfully, gently spiced. Very full with a piquant middle, but the light honey and sweet barley balances it adroitly. The oak comes through on the finish riding a wave of spice and black pepper. Absolutely storming stuff. 

With water the nose becomes softer with the spice and black pepper showing. There’s a touch of walnut skin, earth and dried apricot. The oak has become lovely and creamy. The palate is much the same with the black pepper and spice emphasised. Very juicy and mouth-filling with the emphasis now on the sweet barley sugar. Still very long and still very nice!

Bladnoch Forum Strathmill 1990 (22 year old) 54.5%

Bourbon cask 2694/ Dist: 1990 Btl: June 2012/ Tasted: June 2012

Quite a pungently earthy nose. Quite alcoholic with a touch of mature honey, old wood, herbs, but it really feels old. 

The palate is oily and old, and I have to say that the spirit is really creaking and has become quite spirit and feels just like an old marc. Yes there is a touch of honey and spice but the fruit has I’m afraid long since gone