Strathisla 21 Year Old Bottled 1990s Gordon & Macphail

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...

Score 83/100

Strathisla 13 Year Old 1998 Gordon & Macphail

This Gordon & Macphail bottling contains a young Strathisla, both age-wise and distillation year. It has a surprisingly bright color. The nose shows the typical fruitiness of Strathisla, but also has a metallic side, as if it was poured from a can. Some toffee and caramel on the sweet side. Hazelnuts. Coffee. Pleasant, but simple. Rather light...

Score 80/100

Strathisla 12 Year Old (flat bottle)

My friend and I did a tasting recently and he showed up with a 100 ml sample of Strathisla 12 yo for me. This is one of those ones that I’ve heard of, but never really considered. I’ve always walked right past it in the store. Well, it turns out that this one is quite nice. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’s a good whisky at a good price....

Score 86/100

Strathisla 12 Year Old (flat bottle)

The nose is much the best part of this whisky, quite a luxurious aroma, but the finish is disappointing. Nose: Butter shortbread, vanilla, a touch woody. Taste: Butter again, sherry sweetness and a creamy mouth feel. Finish: Medium length and a bit dull, some fruity notes.

Score 85/100