Strathisla 40 Years Old Licensed Bottling (G&M)

From Gordon & MacPhail comes this Strathisla, aged 40 year old and bottled at 43%. Strathisla was opened in 1786 in Keith, in the heart of Speyside, and its twin pagodas make it one of Scotch's most photographed distilleries. Water comes from the Broomhill Spring, the distillery set on the River Isla at Keith.

It was drawn off the distillery's short copper stills, for a fruity, honeyed spirit with real weight. Ex-Sherry wood suited the full make, adding a dried fruit richness. At forty years and more it is rich and waxy, tropical fruit, honey and old oak in a profound old malt. Long, gentle maturation turns the orchard fruit towards honey and almond. Keith is one of Speyside's old whisky towns, north of the Cairngorms. The distillery is a centrepiece of the Malt Whisky Trail and the home of Chivas. Gordon and MacPhail have released Strathisla vintages reaching back to the 1930s and 1950s.

At 43% it is smooth and honeyed. The Oloroso adds figgy dried fruit and a nutty edge, and a gentle vanilla and cream from the wood runs under a honeyed, creamy fruitiness. A dried fruit and a gentle oak spice give it depth. A long, honeyed finish carries an almond note. This is a fruity, full bodied Speysider from Keith.