I don’t remember seeing a Strathmill from SMWS for quite a while and with this being the 12th SMWS cask from the distillery it seems they don’t bottle it much. Similarly there aren’t many official bottlings from Strathmill since it’s used mostly for blends. So naturally the rarity of it all caught my attention and I just had to try this one out.

Bottler: SMWS

Distillery: Strathmill

SMWS Code: 100.12

Age: 10 years

Cask: Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrel

ABV: 58.7%

Distill Date: 23 February 2005

Outturn: November 2015

Bottle Numbers: 209

Price: £47.00

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Nose

Musty and moth balls like an old wooden wardrobe. Cinnamon! Big cinnamon! Cinnamon in vanilla hot cocoa with extra whipping cream. Makes me think of what Turkish delight from Narnia tastes like.

Taste

Deep sweet and savoury. Metallic sweetness like haw fruits flakes. Sweet chrysanthemum tea with jasmine tea.

Finish

Old refined sweetness with sweet tea. Haw fruit too! Long lasting.

Rating

8

Afterthoughts

This one felt older than it was. It had a refined character to it which was quite nice. I feel like this would be a perfect dram for a rainy day with a book or after hitting the slopes in winter. Really enjoyed this one and for the price it’s quite the bargain.