Edition 36 of the 100 Proof Range sees us in with a sherried Speysider, Strathmill. Not too commonly seen out in the wild so it is a welcomed addition.
A sherry-kissed Strathmill from Signatory’s 100 Proof Edition series, this 12-year-old single malt was distilled in 2012 and matured in first-fill oloroso sherry butts. Bottled at 100 Proof (57.1% ABV) in 2025 without chill-filtration or added colour, it's elegant, rich, and a great choice for those who enjoy Speyside malts with added depth.
Signatory Vintage Scotch is one of the most discerning independent bottlers of Scotch in the world. They bottle one cask at a time, capitalizing on the unique colour and flavour characteristics of each individual cask.
By sourcing all-natural malts from the best distilleries in Scotland, selecting the best single batches and bottling only the finest casks within those batches. The resulting “single, single, single malt” this is about as exclusive it gets.
Nose : Deep aromas of dried fruits such as figs and raisins, combined with dark chocolate and roasted nuts, subtle hints of orange zest and spicy cinnamon adds extra depth.
Palate : Full-bodied and rich with notes of dark fruits, caramel, and a touch of espresso. the influence of the oloroso sherry is unmistakable, bringing warm spices, walnuts and a slight hint of leather.
Finish : long and warming with lingering notes of oak, spiced honey and a touch of tobacco. the finish remains complex and elegant, with a pleasant sweetness and a slight dryness.
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.
About Signatory Vintage
Perthshire-based independent bottler and owner of Edradour distillery. Signatory is an independent bottler with a vigorous release policy, and usually some 50 different single malt expressions are available at any one time. Whiskies are bottled across a number of ranges, including the Un-chill Filtered Collection, the Cask Strength Collection and the Single Grain Collection.
Signatory bottling, bonding and office facilities are located in a building adjacent to Edradour distillery, near Pitlochry in Perthshire, which the company also owns. Signatory Vintage Scotch Whisky was established in 1988 by Andrew Symington, who had previously managed the prestigious Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh. The first cask bottled by Symington was a 1968 Sherry-cask-matured Glenlivet.
Signatory was initially based in the Newhaven area of Edinburgh, where a bottling plant was developed, but in 2002 the firm acquired Edradour distillery from Pernod Ricard, and subsequently moved all of its operations north to the picturesque Perthshire location.
A new bottling plant and a warehousing complex were constructed, strictly in keeping with the vernacular architectural style which prevails at the much-visited and diminutive former farm distillery.
