Strathisla 1991/2022 - over 30 yo Artist #12

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 42.3% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Strathisla combines more than three decades of maturation with a distinctly fresh, floral and herbaceous character. Distilled in 1991, the Single Malt matured in a previously used Barrel numbered 1014. La Maison du Whisky selected it for Artist #12 Legendary Distilleries and had it bottled in Scotland in 2022. This single cask yielded 146 bottles at 42.3% alcohol.

Artist #12 Legendary Distilleries is devoted exclusively to Strathisla through five single-cask releases. Their vintages range from 1991 to 2012; this whisky is the oldest of the five. Mathéo Modol’s black-and-white photographs show different views of the distillery. The label of this release depicts the warehouses under the image title Ageing Cellars.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is fresh and delicate, with pronounced floral aromas of jasmine, lilac, lilies and lily of the valley. Subtle hints of incense, eucalyptus and ash accompany pan-fried pineapple and dried grapes. With air, sage, verbena and rosemary emerge alongside candied lemon and grapefruit. As the bouquet develops, fresh pineapple replaces the pan-fried fruit, joined by banana, pear, apple and almond.
• Palate: The whisky opens with a full-bodied palate of vanilla flan and lime tart. It then becomes increasingly milky, with impressions of coconut and agave. Pronounced herbal notes of alfalfa and cut hay merge with anise into a fresh mid-palate. Barley and a hint of salt follow. Towards the end, lime, walnut, white grapes and verbena emerge.
• Finish: The long, delicate finish initially combines vanilla, malt, ginger and cinnamon with gentle liquorice, pear, light-coloured cherries and star fruit. White chocolate and almond milk then bring a creamy close. Fresh herbal notes of sage, thyme and green tea appear on the exhale. Aromas of wormwood, anise and oregano linger in the empty glass.

Distillery/Bottler:

Strathisla lies near Keith in Scotland’s Speyside region, on the River Isla. The distillery’s history began in 1786. Chivas Brothers acquired it at a public auction in 1950, and it has been closely associated with Chivas Regal ever since. Its Single Malt is an important component of these Blended Scotch Whiskies. The distinctive pagoda roofs, cobbled courtyard and waterwheel are part of the distillery’s historic appearance.

La Maison du Whisky is responsible for the selection and design of this independent bottling. For the Artist series, created in 2011, individual casks are selected by distillery, cask type, age and alcohol strength, and the whiskies are bottled at cask strength. Artists create new labels each year. The series thus pairs individual cask selections with changing photographic, painted or illustrated works.

Facts: