Strathmill – Flora and Fauna – 79/100

I am always searching for something new, a whisky with a different flavour and something new to enjoy. A lot of the time this means scouring the internet for tidbits and tip offs. This time I purchased this bottle of whisky on some excellent advice. I bought it from one of our excellent local whisky shops, Weber and Trings, which is located on the Christmas Steps in Bristol. I spoke to the owner, asking her to recommend a new and interesting bottle that was different to the Islay’s that I had recently purchased, but not so expensive that I would have to re-mortgage the house.

She mentioned that Diageo had recently purchased a company who curate a line of whiskies, called the Flora and Fauna range. She had two bottles in stock, the Strathmill and Inchgower. The Strathmill was cheaper, so at the end of the day the Northerner in me won out and I went for this bottle. I took it home and drank a small glass in the kitchen.

Nose: This whisky smells so much like buttered toast, that it took me back to my university days and returning from my very infrequent nights out. I have never really been blessed with the ability to stay up beyond 10pm! There are also notes of sugary caramel and the sweetness of fresh white grapes.

Taste: The initial flavour is that of pepper, of heat and yet mellow sweetness. This opens up to a spicy warmth combined with honey, which coats the tongue and leaves a rusty, salty flavour like metal corroding on a railing at the seaside. More glugs reveals the sweetness and as the air gets into the whisky there are real sweet notes to this whisky.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, spicy and alcoholic. The flavour leaves the tongue numb.

Overall: This Speyside whisky is smooth, flavoursome and salty. It offers an excellent counterpoint to the powerful punch of peat in an Islay whisky. This felt like an important bottle in my journey as a whisky lover, as it reminded me that delicate, subtle flavours can be just as powerful and ace as something big and noisy.

Scoring:

Aroma – 15

Start -16

Middle – 16

Finish – 17

Value – 15

Overall – 79/100

More Info: The Whisky Exchange’s List of Flora and Fauna

Available: Green Welly Stop