Strathearn Cask 9 (for Whisky.Me.com)

Strathearn Cask 9 (for Whisky.Me.com)

Official bottling

Single malt - Central Highlands

Amber gold

57.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toffee, raisins, malted grains, orange peel, hoppy beer, honey, lilies. With water, sandalwood, hoppy beer, malted grains. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, volatile, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Malted grains, hoppy beer, honey, orange peel, fresh cut grass, hints of toffee. With water, orange peel, hoppy beer, malted grains. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, orange peel, walnut skins, hoppy beer. 

Comments: 

Cask 9. Complex and bitter, lots of fragrant herbal notes especially with water. It’s a punchy whisky, plenty of intense flavours that come in waves. Water does gentle it a little bit, and brings out some subtle flavours of hops and grain.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Strathearn 3yo 2014/2018 Ex Sherry Cask

Strathearn 3yo 2014/2018 Ex Sherry Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Dark chocolate, raisins, Chinese angelica, figs, damson jam, dunnage, brown paper. With water, fresh baked bread, cooked rice, strawberry jam, cloves, dunnage. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Strawberry jam, damson jam, raisins, dark chocolate, bubble gum, fresh baked bread, figs, vanilla sponge. With water, fresh baked bread, bubble gum, damson jam, cooked rice. 
Finish: Long. Fresh baked bread, vanilla sponge, raisins, cinnamon, figs. 

Comments: 

Cask 66. Hugely complex and jammy, even if it’s only 3 years old.  Lots of fruity estery notes, over a big bold cereally core. Water brings our further notes of cereal and bubble gum (pleasant in this case).

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Chestnut Wood Strathearn

Chestnut Wood Strathearn

Robertson’s of Pitlochry
Single malt - Central Highlands
Dark copper
59% ABV
Dram

Nose: Toast, driftwood smoke, autumn leaves, black pepper, white spirit, nutmeg, hints of cloves. With water, raisins, nutmeg, hints of roast pork. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, warm, mouth coating, loosens slightly.  
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Autumn leaves, black pepper, white spirit, tobacco leaf, driftwood smoke, hints of charcoal ash. With water, raisins, roast pork, charcoal ash. 
Finish: Medium. Tobacco leaf, black pepper, charcoal ash, nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Unusual bottle - chestnut wood isn’t very common, especially in scotch. It’s smoky and savoury, lots of spices and burning things. Not sure the wood fits the distillate, but it’s a decent dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Strathearn 9yo 2013/2023 ex-Sherry PWWT Private Cask

Strathearn 9yo 2013/2023 ex-Sherry PWWT Private Cask

Thompson Bros
Single malt - Central Highlands
Dark amber 
60.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, honey, orange peel, camphor, cloves, cream. With water, cream, rum and raisin ice cream, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, turns airy, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, honey, dark chocolate, camphor, cocoa nibs, black tea. With water, cream, honey, raisins, dark chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, camphor. 

Comments: 

Cask 27A. A private cask for Phil and Simon Thompson, of which a bottle was kindly shared for a Strathearn tasting. It’s glorious - sweet and raisiny, like a fine PX sherry. It’s also heavy, almost chewy on the tongue. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Strathearn 9yo 2013/2023 Spirited Angels Virgin French Oak Cask

Strathearn 9yo 2013/2023 Spirited Angels Virgin French Oak Cask

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Bros
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber gold
53.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, malted grains, barley sugar, orange peel, white pepper, honey, raisins. With water, cherries, honey, barley sugar, raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, airy, loosens, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Malted grains, honey, raisins, bananas, chocolate, vanilla, white pepper, cinnamon. With water, malted grains, bananas, white pepper, barley sugar. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, vanilla, honey, raisins, cherries. 

Comments: 

Cask 010. Malty and sweet, lots of fruit. I’d expected this to taste like bourbon - which it did, a little - but the banana note in bourbon was less evident, and this was more spicy. Nice stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Strathearn 8yo 2014/2023 Spirited Angels Sherry Cask

Strathearn 8yo 2014/2023 Spirited Angels Sherry Cask

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Bros 
Single malt - Central Highlands
Amber
51.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cooked rice, strawberry jam, cloves, cinnamon, leather, dark chocolate. With water, strawberry jam, vanilla, marshmallows. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cooked rice, dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, raisins, black tea, hints of lychees. With water, strawberry jam, raisins, lychees, marshmallows. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, leather, cocoa nibs, lychees. 

Comments: 

Cask 049. Very impressive sherried dram - chocolatey, bitter and complex. There’s also a very light fruity note that reminds me of lychees. Delicious whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Strathearn 8yo 2014/2022 Spirited Angels Virgin American Oak

Strathearn 8yo 2014/2022 Spirited Angels Virgin American Oak

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Bros
Single malt - Central Highlands
Dusty gold
49.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, malted grains, parchment, sea salt, orange peel, hints of smoky bacon. With water, bananas, pear drops, malted grains, hints of smoky bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Sea salt, orange peel, barley sugar, malted grains, raisins, hints of pear drops. With water, pear drops, orange peel, malted grains, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, coffee, orange peel, barley sugar. 

Comments: 

Cask 17. Quite a feinty, smoky nose, but it becomes sweet and fruity on the tongue. The oaky sugary notes are a little much for me, but there’s a nice complexity and distinct layering of flavour that is lovely.

Verdict:

I like this.

Strathearn 7yo 2015/2022 Spirited Angels Peated Spirit

Strathearn 7yo 2015/2022 Spirited Angels Peated Spirit

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Bros
Single malt - Central Highlands
Dark gold
54.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, pears, smoke, leather, tobacco leaf, peat, hints of charcoal ash. With water, magic marker, white grapes, pears, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. White grapes, fresh baked bread, lemon zest, white grapes, peat, smoke. 
Finish: Short. Peat, leather, chillies, charcoal ash, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 50. Ashy but still fruity, with a decent malty spine. It’s still got some harsh edges, but no more than many young peated whiskies. Lots of smoke and spiciness in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Strathearn 7yo 2014/2022 Spirited Angels Port Cask

Strathearn 7yo 2014/2022 Spirited Angels Port Cask

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Central Highlands
Chinese tea
52.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, roses, red grapes, sultanas, strawberry jam, malted grains. With water, apples, orange peel, fresh baked bread. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Dark chocolate, fresh baked bread, raisins, honey, strawberry jam, hints of musk. With water, apples, honey, strawberry jam. 
Finish: Short. Raisins, dark chocolate, apples, honey, hints of nutmeg. 

Comments: 

Cask 107. Lots of sweet and fruity notes, as you’d expect from a port cask. I enjoyed the complexity, the distillate takes active wood well. Relatively well aged, but excellent and promising.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Strathearn 7yo 2014/2021 Spirited Ángels Rum Cask

Strathearn 7yo 2014/2021 Spirited Ángels Rum Cask

A Seven Cask Series, Thompson Brothers
Single malt - Central Highlands
Golden, hints of pink
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lychees, damson jam, honey, cooked rice, oatmeal, jasmine, hints of soursop. With water, cooked rice, photocopy paper, oatmeal, soursop. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, cool, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lychees, malted grains, soursop, jasmine, coconut water, red grapes, hints of raisins. With water, malted grains, cooked rice, jasmine, marmalade. 
Finish: Long. Marmalade, lychees, red grapes, soursop, coconut water. 

Comments: 

Highly fruity and estery whisky. It’s old stuff, for a young distillery, and the aging makes it very good indeed. Lots of fruit notes complemented by a strong backbone of cereal. Yummy.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Strathearn Batch 1

Strathearn Batch 1

Official bottling
Single malt - Central Highlands 
Amber
46.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Bananas, raisins, chocolate, damson jam, marmalade. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Red grapes, marmalade, strawberry laces, damson jam, bananas, brown paper, hints of black tea. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, bananas, chocolate, hints of mint. 

Comments: 

Not strictly Strathearn’s first release, but instead the first batch since it was purchased by Douglas Laing. It’s quite good, heavily wood influenced, which gives it a lot of flavourful punch for a young whisky. I enjoyed it, perhaps because it’s not been hyped and my expectations weren’t artificially raised.

Verdict:

I like this.