Strathmill – WhiskyYoda’s Whisky Reviews

Strathmill 1975 MoS Cask# MoS 13047

WhiskyYoda — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 12:04:00 +0000

today I will have a closer look into this Whisky:

Strathmill 38yo Vintage 1975 Cask# MoS 13047 from independent bottler Malts of Scotland

I got this sample from a bottle share in Germany.

What are my expectations? Well, considering the color, casks, age and vintage I expect this Whisky to be enormous complex. I expect the oak to be present but hopefully not too tart and bitter. I also expect it to be very smooth overall and I really looking forward to trying this one. But first give it some time in the glass to breath. In this case considering the age I will let it breath for at least 45 minutes.
As you can see in the picture, I will have it in a Glencairn glass.

Let’s see if it can surprise me and that hopefully in a positive way

Appearance:
Color: gold and the clarity is clear. Very oily as the streaks on the glass flow down incredibly slow. It takes a long time until it starts to flow back down. very nice.

Nose: 94/100 points
it starts off very smooth and very fruity with red apples, yellow melons, berries, citrus fruits and oranges. Then honey, vanilla and caramel steps forward. Herbs and floral notes show up before the old oak and leather steps in. It is a real joy to smell that whisky. Can’t take my nose off the glass. It is very harmonic and complex. As longer you smell as more flavor you can pick up.

Taste: 95/100 points
on the palate it also starts quite smooth at first. I get this nice old style flavor profile. Many citrus fruits, oranges, the yellow melon and the red apples kick in combined with the caramel, vanilla and honey which are here more intense than the nose might suggest. After a while the old oak and the leather notes appear, and it is becoming very creamy and oily. At the end some nuts show up and it is becoming quite malty. Such a great mouthfeel. Wonderful!

Finish: 92/100 points
The finish appears very soft at the beginning. It is dominated by fruity malt flavors. It is also sweeter here than on the palate with tons of caramel and vanilla. What appears to be less here are the oak and leather flavors. Specially if you keep it longer in the mouth before you swallow it and it is a bit diluted from the saliva. If you don’t keep it too long in the mouth the flavors are more intense.

Conclusion:
the force is strong with this one. Many of the aspects and flavors of this Whisky fulfilled my expectations to 100%. This whisky is a real joy and very complex. Even it appears a bit smooth it is still full-bodied and full of flavors. Would love to have it again.

Overall I give this Whisky: 94/100 WhiskyYoda points

here are some more detailed bottle information:

Brand	Strathmill	Cask/Batch#	MoS 13047
Series	Single Cask	Vintage	1975
Region	Scotland / Speyside	Bottled	2013
Bottler	Malts of Scotland (MoS)	Age	38yo
Type	Single Malt	Non-Cillfiltered	yes
Casks	Bourbon Hogshead	Natural color	yes
ABV	42.1%	Whiskybase ID:	53940

Bottle photo source: Whiskybase.com

Strathmill 2006 NSS Cask Series 020

WhiskyYoda — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 12:42:00 +0000

today I will have a closer look into this Whisky:

Strathmill Vintage 2006 from North Star Spirits – Cask Series 020

I got this sample from a bottle share in China. A friend did his own Flora & Fauna Series where he selected 10 different whiskies from, for the main public, lesser-known distilleries. This was the first of his series I have tried.

What are my expectations? Well that I can’t tell in this case because I had this one as a blind sample. The sample bottle was only labeled as “Red Deer”. But with a look at the color, I expect it to have a sherry or port cask influence and for that I might find many fruits in its profile. Let’s see. First, as usual, I let it rest a couple of minutes in the glass. I choose to let it rest for 20 minutes.
During that time, I will have it covered.

Let’s see if it can surprise me and that hopefully in a positive way

Appearance:
Color: Copper and very clear. medium oily as the streaks on the glass flow back semi slow.

Nose: 88/100 points
the Alcohol is a bit present, so I guess the ABV is about 58%+. A bit sulfur at the beginning which indicates that there was a sherry cask involved. Plums, raisins and red berries step forward. I get a slightly smoky note. Spicy oak come through as well as herbs and floral flavors. Orange peels and a bit grass.

Taste: 88/100 points
creamy fruity sweet the start. Red and dried fruits, plums and the orange peels are also here the main fruit flavors. Now it becomes a bit spicy but one could also think it ia again the light smoky note from the nose. Oak and caramel show themself and some floral notes come through. Strong and flavorful on the palate.

Finish: 87/100 points
The finish shows exactly the same flavors as the palate with the difference that now also the sulfur is noticeable here. But as before there could also be a slightly smoky flavor as well.

Conclusion:
Very intensive. Nice profile and quite complex. I like this kind of profile al lot. Very good whisky.
But what is my guess it could be this blind sample?
Ok, considering that there might be a slightly smoky flavor I would guess that this Whisky comes from the Scottish Highlands/Speyside. Casks I would say first fill Sherry casks. Alcohol 55%+ but maybe more direction 58%. Distillery? Not one I tried a lot. Can’t make out a distinct character profile. This one reminds me somehow of a Blair Athol. Age? I would guess somewhere between 12yo and 16yo. The oak is not strong or old enough that I would be older. But I for sure can be very wrong

The Result shows that I wasn’t that far off

Overall I give this Whisky: 88/100 WhiskyYoda points

here are some more detailed bottle information:

Brand	Strathmill	Cask/Batch#	n/a
Series	Cask Series 020	Vintage	2006
Region	Scotland / Speyside	Bottled	2022
Bottler	Noth Star Spirits (NSS)	Age	15yo
Type	Single Malt	Non-Cillfiltered	yes
Casks	Oloroso Hogshead	Natural color	yes
ABV	55.6%	Whiskybase ID:	219302

Bottle photo source: Whiskybase.com