Whiskies #575 & #576: SMWS Strathisla Showdown
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Whisky #575: SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating. 8 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $160 (bottle).
Two single cask, cask strength, whiskies from Strathisla, SMWS distillery number 58.
Colour: Bright gold.
Nose: Lemon sponge cake and strawberry fairy floss. Freshly snapped grass strands and tennis balls. Surprisingly light on the alcohol at first, then a slight drying nose prickle.
Palate: Tangy grilled pineapple rings and zesty lemon sherbet lollies. Caramelised brown sugar notes too.
Finish: Huskier than a pack of sled dogs…malt husks and toasted grains abound.
Whisky #576: SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).
Colour: Almost identical to the other Strathisla above – bright gold.
Nose: Dried raspberries and maraschino cherries.
Palate: Like taking a bite into a fresh slice of Black Forest cake…chocolate, cherries, creamy moist mouthfeel.
Finish: A tangy salty combo to finish, with subtle herby notes. One of my go-to dishes to cook when I have a group of friends over is a fennel-encrusted pork belly…the finish to this is like you’ve taken a bite of that and you’ve got a mixture of the fennel infused salt flakes on your tongue and you crush them up to the roof of your mouth to dissolve…dammit I’m hungry now!
Overall comments: Two SMWS Strathisla whiskies, two quite different siblings. The SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish is a whisky of two halves; both satisfying in their own way but a little Jekyll and Hyde. The sweet creamy fruit-driven flavours to start that yield to delicious salty, savoury flavours in the finish.
The pick for me though is clearly the SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating, it’s just a little more connected as you experience the full tasting. A symphony that feels like each of the movements is connected and flows effortlessly from one to the next.
