Cadenhead's Strathmill 26yo (44.7%): And another sample bottle given to me by the good people of Istanbul Whisky Society... This time it is a Strathmill distilled in 1992 and bottled in Summer of 2018 by Cadenhead's of Campbeltown. The ex-bourbon barrel the whisky was aging in yielded only 198 bottles at cask strength. I also realized that I reviewed another Strathmill on the blog distilled in 1992 as well back in 2017 if you are interested: Here is the link... That one was a release of Hepburn's Choice and was 24 year old when bottled. It might be fun to compare the tasting notes of both whiskies after.
Color: Oaked Chardonnay with fat but fast legs.
Nose: Very malty and dusty... Cream puffs, vanilla and shortbread. Unsalted butter, bitter greens and jasmine. Dried malt and oatmeal raisin cookies. Water sweetens it up: Baby bananas, damson plum jam and rubber bands.
Palate: Fits the nose but a little more bitter on the palate. Warm savory scones, pear compote and linden flower tea. White pepper, honeysuckle nectar and tree sap. Water thins out the texture quite a bit... Nectarines and apricots. There is a tongue tingling bitterness leads up to the finish almost like a very good olive oil.
Finish: Long... It is savory and bitter. White pepper, dry wood and chalk.
Overall: Another distillate driven whisky from Cadenhead's. It's malty, fruity and savory... Not an overly complex whisky you would spend hours with to write down tasting notes, etc. but also not a bland one. In other words if you are an ex-bourbon matured whisky lover like I am you will be satisfied. By the way it is very impressive how the cask didn't overwhelm the whisky at all in 26 years... Before I finish typing this I went back and checked my notes about the other 1992 Strathmill I mentioned above and they actually are pretty close... Thanks to Istanbul Whisky Society for the sample.
Price: €125
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