Chivas Regal Strathisla 12 Year Distillery Collection

This is a whisky that I have never heard much about; not much talk nor have I seen it lingering on a shelf, until now, thanks to Pranay. A fruity nose of apples and/or pears and peaches. Some floral notes of honeysuckle add to the fruity aromatics. A light caramel or toasted coconut add to the soft nose. All-in-all, a pretty straightforward Speysider. A thin viscosity body holds a slightly brown sugar sweetness countered with a white pepper spice. Oak tannins are found giving a dryness. For me, not much more that I could really discern. The finish is somewhat short this is bitter with dried ginger providing a small amount of zing. This is a simple Speyside whisky that would appeal those who have been sipping blends as a crossover Scotch. Pleasant, but nothing that stands out or grabs you. Not a whisky to lose yourself in thought but would be fine in mass social occasions. [Dry Glass: Sawdust][82/100][Tasted:7/7/17]

Stop number 21 on the SDT is Strathisla. This Speyside single malt is a bit of a rarity. It is almost exclusively sold to Chivas Brothers to be used as their primary blend component for Chivas Regal, and is not often sold as an official distillery bottling. 40% ABV and it appears to have colorant added, making it a solid amber color. I'm also fairly certain that it is chill filtered. A fairly light nose with typical Speyside notes. Fruity: sweetened white peach tea, honeydew, green grapes, apple or pear or both, and maybe some pineapple. Floral honey, some vanilla and light toffee and caramel. Faint charred oak and cereal malt. There was a brief note of licorice but it was gone very quickly. I nosed this immediately on the second pour and got a lacquer thinner smell, but it faded pretty fast, so make sure you give it time to breathe. The palate was somewhat bitter up front but did have a light sweetness to it. Dry oak/tannins with bitter dark chocolate. Light pepper and maybe some sour pineapple. No complexity to it and rather weak. A very thin and light mouthfeel with a light oiliness. Dry. The finish is short to medium short. Bitter with oak and something like a metallic taste that came and went. It was more of a sensation than an actual taste if that makes any sense. I can see why this is a blending whisky and not primarily a single malt. It's too light and lacks enough character to hold its own with the big boys. Likely a high proportion of refill casks, with a fairly good mix of American and European oak, leaning towards the American side. The nose is pleasant enough, but the palate and finish are too bitter and it falls apart at the end. At least at around $40 it's not a big hit to the whisky budget. Thanks to Pranay for the generous sample. 2.75. Cheers