Strathmill 13 2006/2020 (Signatory Cask Strength Collection)

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #11 Nose: Dusty sherry, heavy malt (almost like porter or stout). Oak wood, old varnish, raisins, cola syrup, tobacco. The nose was tight and seemed very “old” when nosed neat and although it relaxed a little with water it never gained softness or finesse. A big but somewhat clumsy nose. Palate: (neat) The arrival was a bombardment of soft dusty tannin and lignin, dried fruit, alcohol and pepper. Dried apricot, black cherry jam, blueberries, toffee, balsamic vinegar and dark chocolate as it developed. Palate: (watered) Less intense on the arrival but the profile remained essentially unchanged – wood spices, reconstituted dried fruit and chocolate with stewed stone fruits in the development. The texture was heavy, oily and almost gritty. Finish: Medium/Long. Cinnamon, tobacco, oak and leather. Although only 13 years old this whisky had the appearance of a dilute mixture of caramel sauce and PX sherry - dense, dark sienna in colour and with a slightly cloudy aspect. It was initially matured in refill butts (note: plural) and then finished in one “fresh” sherry butt, which suggests there was massive oxidation and loss from the initial casks. As a result, not surprisingly, this is an almost impenetrably cask-driven whisky with all trace of the distillery character hidden by the wood. It lacks nuance but that doesn’t make it bad as such, just rather heavy and generic. There is a lot of toffee, dark chocolate, sherry and dried fruit but the big fault for me was that it never seemed to open. When neat the alcohol content was immediately obvious and although adding water muted this the character barely changed, the whisky remaining closed and dense. It was like diluting dark cooking soy sauce. I'm sure there are many enthusiasts who would relish a big, oxidised sherry-and-malt monster like this but it's not a style that I prefer. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)