Strathmill 1974/2021 - 47 y.o. - Refill American Hogshead #1786 - G&M The Dram Takers Collection

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 41.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Strathmill was distilled in 1974 and matured for 47 years in Refill American Hogshead #1786. Gordon & MacPhail bottled it on 17 June 2021 at 41.5%, yielding 62 bottles. The whisky is neither chill-filtered nor artificially coloured.

The profile combines candied citrus and dried stone fruit with vanilla, malty sweetness, leather and oak. Sweet, creamy exotic fruit, pear and black pepper lead to candy notes, tobacco and almond on the finish.

This bottling belongs to The Dram Takers. The collection's design draws on the illustrative style of the 9th-century Book of Kells and depicts two figures raising a toast together.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose opens with candied lemon and lime, followed by dried peach and apricot; vanilla and barley sugar give way to leather and oak.
• Palate: The whisky is sweet and creamy on the palate. Exotic fruit, pear and passion fruit develop alongside yuzu, lime and freshly ground black pepper, while intense vanilla, candied citrus and oak complete the profile.
• Finish: The finish is medium in intensity; candy notes and charred oak linger as bittersweet citrus accents, a little tobacco and almond emerge.

Distillery/Bottler:

Strathmill stands in Keith on the banks of the River Isla. The site began life as Strathisla Mills in 1823, and the mill was converted into the Glenisla-Glenlivet distillery in 1891. After its acquisition by W & A Gilbey, it was renamed Strathmill in 1895. The distillery is known for a lighter spirit that can develop rich flavours when matured well in high-quality casks.

Gordon & MacPhail was founded in 1895 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail as a grocery business in Speyside. Its early work selecting and maturing local whiskies evolved into a specialism in matching spirit with cask. For The Dram Takers, the family business matures spirits in its own casks and monitors their development over many years; it oversaw the maturation of this Strathmill and bottled it in 2021.

Facts: