Strathisla 45 Years Old 1968 Cask #3357 (Duncan Taylor)

This is a Strathisla single malt, chosen and bottled by Duncan Taylor, a 45 year old Speyside malt from 1968, drawn from cask 3357 and bottled at 44.2%. Strathisla, opened in 1786 by the Isla in Keith, Banffshire, is the home of Chivas Regal. It is the oldest continuously operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands.

Distilled on soft Isla valley water in traditional pot stills, building the classic Strathisla style. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. Decades leave it deep and oxidative, candied fruit and beeswax with great age. The unpeated make lets the wood and the fruit speak without smoke. Scarce as an official bottling, Strathisla was long bottled mainly by Gordon and MacPhail. The distillery has stood by the Isla since the reign of George III. Short copper pot stills give the rich, full bodied make the distillery is known for. Keith is one of Speyside's old whisky towns, north of the Cairngorms.

Bottled at a cask strength 44.2%, it is concentrated. A rich, fruity sweetness meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Beneath it run honey, pear and a soft spice. A fruity, gently spiced finish lingers long. This is the fruity Speyside heart of Chivas Regal.