Strathisla is a distillery in the Speyside region, more specifically in the village of Keith. Few official releases have been done in the last 20 years and right now there is none on the market at all. In fact, it’s easier to buy a bottle from the 1970’s than one from 2020. As it happens though I have tried a 12 year old from the distillery. Chivas head office was in the same town I lived in while in my early 20’s and getting a bottle used to be kind of simple for me. I remember getting a Strathisla 12 and a Tormore 12. The Tormore was much better and also not available anymore.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that would mean the distillery is a character less factory of spirit production with no visitor centre and hardly a sign post to signify where it resides. You would be wrong though because Strathisla is one of the newish fad for brand experience destinations. In this case for Chivas blends, other options are places like Caol Ila as the Johnnie Walker experience distillery and up until Glenturret was bought they were the Famous Grouse experience. I might be being unpleasant but to me these always feel like “coach tour” tourist traps making easy cynical money from people looking for a momento for the trip to Scotland to take home with the holiday snaps.

This £100 bottle of Master of Malt Exclusive single cask is punchy as hell. Distilled in 2013 and bottled in 2022 there is still bottles available at a whooping 66.9% ABV.

Official Tasting Notes

Nose	An aroma of Rosey Apples is joined by lemon shortbread, oily orange, honeyed toast, chocolate-covered ginger, and vanilla.
Palate	Aromatic baking spice with milk chocolate, fizzy cherry, and toffee apples in support as well as a hint of crystallised ginger.
Finish	Caramel and oak char linger.

Tasting Notes

Colour	Pale yellow
Nose	powerful stuff. lots of heat from the high strength. Appletizer where the bubbles go straight up your nose
Palate	Lots of spice and oak spices. some gingerbread
Finish	A short sherbety lemon finish

Where Can I Buy?

Being a Master of Malt Exclusive there is only 1 place you can go:

Master of Malt: Exclusive Single Cask

Final Thoughts

I have to admit though I am not sure this is a great spend of £100 when you could get any number of excellent bottles for the same money. The high strength is accounting for the high bottle price with the duty eating into the margin I would say.

You can’t taste tax so its not worth it.