Strathisla 2005/ Bottled 2016/ Gordon & MacPhail

As the majority of this distillery's output ends up in various Chivas blends, it is (with the exception of the un-inspiring 12 yo) not easy to come by. Gordon and MacPhail seems to have cornered the market for bottling the "unofficial" releases from Strathisla, and have put a nice selection on the market. This expression was distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2016 and is offered at 43%

Color: A nice yellowy gold (natural color)

Nose: Chocolate mint then a subtle fruitiness (kiwi & green banana). An interesting malt/cinnamon interaction leads to hints of Dentyne chewing gum. Some light sherry notes flicker back and forth in the background.

Palate: Medium body. The Dentyne gum spices detected on the nose along with some fruity sweetness starts things off. By mid-palate wood tannins dry things out. Peppery and chewy.

Finish: Short with oak tannins keeping their grip. Unfortunately, the tannin bitterness increases.

Notes: I really enjoyed the nose on this dram, but the use of some tired casks diminished the overall quality.

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