It has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!
The SMWS are one of the Britain's most revered independent bottlers with a worldwide network of partner bars with one mission of getting as much whisky at natural cask strength without water to different nations including USA, Canada, Switzerland, UK, Austria, Germany and many others.
These older labels from the first runs are mostly with distillation methods that include direct heat which was replaced with steam for many distilleries for environmental reasons changing the taste of whisky forever. It'll get real interesting when nuclear fusion is used to distil whisky. We might glow green for a few weeks after we drink the stuff. Who knows.... but all we know is that the old stuff has a musky taste that is VERY welcomed by people nowadays trying to time travel through whisky's past.
Light in character, Strathmill uses a long fermentation regime to help create fruitiness.
The distillery’s main production quirk comes in the form of a purifier pipe running from the lyne arm into the body of the spirit stills.
Like Glenlossie and Glen Spey, this adds a lightly oily character to the new make, here picked up almost as olive oil which mixes well with the lightly fruity/grassy notes.
Thanks to the River Isla, Keith has a long history of milling, both for meal and weaving (the town still has a kilt museum). Two of those old mill sites have since been converted to distilleries, Glen Keith and Strathmill.
Built in 1892, it was originally called Glenisla (with -Glenlivet suffixed). Its original owners sold it in 1895 to W&A Gilbey which was by then building its holdings in Scotch [see Glen Spey, Knockando]. As Gilbey moved through various incarnations so Strathmill became an integral part of the J&B family.
Its only official release is as part of the Flora & Fauna range.
