Another review I'm waaaaaay behind on posting. This was from the October outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") which was almost a month ago now. It's an 11 year old Stratchmill, 8 years in ex-bourbon, 3 years in 1st fill ex-Oloroso, and nicknamed (provocatively) "Oh, to be in a bodega again."
Here are the official notes:
Initial nosing suggested muscovado sugars, fir wood, rancio and a big, sticky fruit cake full of booze, dark fruit and heavily laden with marzipan. Some heather honey as well, to round it off nicely. Water brought out elegant notes of strawberry laces, hessian, candied walnuts, quince jelly and earthy dunnage. In the mouth we found it a tad meatier than expected with Iberico ham and game stock. Then bitter chocolate, walnut wine and orange cocktail bitters. Reduction brought stewed dark fruits, aged Armagnac, earthy black teas, rosewater and maple syrup sponge cake. Previously in a bourbon hogshead for 8 years before transfer to a 1st fill oloroso hogshead.
Bottled at 56.7% ABV, a single cask offering as per usual from SMWS. Here we go:
Nose: Butter, butterscotch, cognac, caramel, nuts, burnt brown sugar. Quite rich. I suspect a very active sherry cask on the finish is contributing most of this.
Mouthfeel: Oily.
Palate: Rich bourbon, marshmallow, cloves and other spices, a little leathery, a little woody. Much less rich and sherried than the nose, but still quite good.
Finish: Ash, wood, drying spices. Surprisingly brief.
Verdict: A perfectly tasty Strathmill that hews the middle path between bourbon and sherry. Quite tasty, it nevertheless didn't exactly knock my socks off. A competent, workmanlike dram that accomplishes everything it sets out to do - no more, no less.
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