A major tourist attraction with a fair claim to be Scotland’s prettiest distillery, in recent times it has played the role of the ‘home’ of Chivas Regal. That accolade also explains why this is a relatively small player in terms of single malt with Gordon & MacPhail being the main resource for bottlings. A repackaging in 2013 however suggests that times may be changing as far as official bottlings are concerned.
Description
Shipping & Returns
Strathilsa 65 Year Old 1953 Gordon & Macphail Private Collection Single 1st Fill Sherry Cask #1613 Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2019) 70cl
1 of only 143 bottles produced.
Bottled at 43.5% in the Private Collection range, this 1953 Strathisla 65 Year Old is a rarity and one of the oldest Strathisla's ever bottled. Aged in sherry butt casks for over six decades, this version remains fresh and fruity despite the notes of spice and precious wood brought by maturation. Impressively balanced, the nose is marked by notes of eucalyptus, walnuts, and citrus. The palate is complex, delicately woody and spicy (nutmeg, incense) and fruity (figs, ripe bananas). The finish is pleasantly tannic, with a hint of candied fruit (quince paste) and blond tobacco
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Initially, cascading aromas of dried fruit and rich sherry. Hints of wood polish and candied fruit combine with an intense note of orange oil. Baking spices – clove, nutmeg, allspice – combine before revealing a subtle menthol edge.
Palate: Initial mature oak notes open into flavours of autumnal berries: blackberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant, and cranberry. Crystallised ginger develops while traces of dark chocolate add complexity. Aniseed notes remain.
Finish: A delightfully balanced fruit and oak finish; nutty notes underscore a subtle but lingering humidor edge.
About Strathilsa
It is Strathisla’s small stills which help to give the distillery its character. Although on paper the spirit should be light and fragrant, distillation helps to add heft and weight to the new make. Though widely
What is most surprising about Strathisla is that so little is made of the fact that this is the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland. It started life as the brewery of the local monastery and turned itself to the making of whisky in 1786, one of the few distilleries in what is now the Speyside region to go legal. It was known as Milltown/Milton until 1870, but its whisky was long known as Strathisla after the river which it sits beside. The distillery was renamed Strathisla in 1951.
It had a period of considerable fame in the late 19th and early 20th century when it was bottled as a single malt, but by the late 1940s it had fallen on hard times. Acting on behalf of Sam Bronfman’s Seagram, the legendary whisky broker Jimmy Barclay bought it for £71,000 at auction in 1950, the year after its previous owner had been jailed for tax evasion. It began to rise in prominence immediately as the first piece in Bronfman’s plans for a reformulated Chivas Regal 12 Year Old.
43.5% ABV
70cl
| Specification name | Specification Value |
|---|---|
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Speyside |
| Whiskey style | Single malt, Single cask |
| Whiskey variety | Scotch |
Strathilsa 65 Year Old 1953...
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