Treated and extreme Strathmill


March 31, 2023

Little Trios, today treated and extreme Strathmill

As you possibly know, we're fond of those little names and try to taste them as often as possible. Yeah I know everyone wants Lagavulin or Ardbeg (according to WF's figures), but it's going to be Strathmill today, mind you! Strathmill and quite some wine, as is fashionable these days…

Strathmill 11 yo 2011/2022 'The Mill in the Shallow Glen' (59.8%, Brave New Spirits, Cask Noir, STR white wine barrique, cask # 803200, 294 bottles)

Remember STR means shaven, toasted, recharred. Which reminds me of some old friends the next morning, really, even if that would rather be 'shaven, toasted, recharged' in that case. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: buttercream, charcoal, maize cream, beech ashes, baguette, pinecone smoke, wash, porridge… With water: more on chalk, clay, washing powder, porridge, lime juice… Mouth (neat): bursts with muscat, gooseberries, grapefruits, white currants, pears, granny smith and Timut pepper. Reminds of some white wine from Kent. With water: they almost recreated old Bladnoch! Lovely tense citrus and green apples. Finish: rather long, fresh, lemony and with even more apples. Dry artisan cider. Comments: very modern, very well made. Proper wood technology in action. As long as it tells its age, I am more than fine.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

More wine…

Strathmill 20 yo 1995/2016 (52.7%, Cadenhead, Wine Cask, château 'Lafitte', 258 bottles)

Cadenhead used to write it 'Lafitte', while Pauillac's 1er grand cru is named 'Lafite' or Lafite Rothschild. It's been uncertain whether it was 'The Lafite' or rather any other smaller château named 'Lafitte' indeed, but it's been confirmed later on that it was well the great 'Lafite'. It's true that some sister casks had been a little difficult in my book. This wee Strathmill has spent 7 years in that ex-Lafite barrique. Colour: deep gold. Nose: nope. Mushrooms stewed in some dusty raspberry wine, leaves, washing powder, leatherette, cassis buds, green pepper, bleach… Tough juice on the nose. With water: a little nicer. Sardines, tar, old tobacco, paint… Mouth (neat): urrgh. Butterscotch, raspberries, liquorice, cassis, tar, strawberries, jalapenos, capsicum… With water: once again water rather improves it, but it remained plain weird, sweet, dusty and tarry. They may have had to STRise the barrique. Finish: long, on overripe strawberries, plasticine and more tar. Sulphury, even sulphurous aftertaste. Comments: great fun but fun that comes at a cost. I'm not sure they ever made more of these, for some good reasons…
SGP:572 - 70 points.

Redemption please, with an old one from the stash…

Strathmill 1976/1999 (52.1%, MacKillop's Choice, cask #4256, 398 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: raw, on porridge and grist, cider apples, cut grass, dark chocolate, Swiss cheese, tapioca, vegetable peel… I believe contemporary bottlers would have boosted this one using PX or any other seasoning casks, but it seems that Lorne MacKillop decided to keep it close to mother Nature, back in 1999. With water: rather acetic. A little ammonia, overripe apples, porridge, flour, baker's yeast… Mouth (neat): tough baby, but with obvious charms. Where else would you find old woods, lime, yoghurt, paprika, paper dust and carbon combined like this? It's even improving, with some 'dusty' citrons and some salty seaweed. Good fun, even if it's rather butyric and feinty. With water: better, but still rather dusty. Paper, ink, paraffin… Finish: rather long, drying, waxy and leafy. Comments: no indies keep doing these kinds today, but I rather love it, it's like people my age who now like disco. Kind of. Let's not exaggerate... I'm afraid guilty nostalgia is about to strike…
SGP:551 - 82 points.

(Thank you Lucero and Tomislav)

Check the index of all Strathmill we've tasted so far