The resurrection of Spirit of Scotland by G&M
My timeline started glowing up with a bunch of new releases of Spirit of Scotland. This is a bottling series done by Gordon & MacPhail but it has seemingly been on hiatus for over 10 years now. In a handsome new bottle the independent bottler who announced they will quit independent bottling released a bunch of whiskies onto the market. Maybe a competitor for the popular Signatory releases, as in: more friendly priced? We taste three of them today, including a more rare malt like Strathmill. They seem to be producing a lot of gin these days, so Strathmill might become more rare as a single malt as we speak. Especially considering the lion’s share goes to the J&B blend. Equally rare is the Glendullan that we have in the glass, even though it has its part in the Singleton range. We do not see that in Europe however, as Glendullan is the malt used in the US. Closing the ranks today is Balmenach, which we featured not so long ago on this blog.
Strathmill 2011, 14 years old, bottled at 55 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail
First things first: A Spirit of Scotland bottling matured in refill bourbon barrel # 805666 with a yield of just 174 bottles for James Gordon Whisky Co. Ltd. (Speymalt Whisky Distributors Ltd.).
Upon Sipping: A Speyside malt that uses a purifier on the stills. This is a beautifully fresh and crisp single malt, oozing grasses and yellow orchard fruit like apples and pears. Some sawdust, but mildly, mixed with typical vanilla. Clean whisky. Mouthfeel is solid and collected, with a very straightforward bourbon finish, leaving a lot of room for an oak kick in the teeth. Very one-dimensional, I have to say, I expected a little bit more complexity. The alcohol is a bit too present. With water it has a more smooth texture, but it remains really well within the box. You can see why this bulks out a blend perfectly. Very accessible, but not thrilling.
Word to the Wise: Clean, subtle, fruity and friends with everyone. This borders on boring perfection, the classic example of an 80 points whisky. But for a single cask, that is a tad disappointing, I have to say.
Score: 80 points.
Glendullan 2010, 15 years old, bottled at 55 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail
First things first: A Spirit of Scotland bottling matured in refill bourbon barrel # 303309 with a yield of 192 bottles.
Upon Sipping: Quite a hefty abv, let’s see if we can pick apart this Glendullan. On the nose, rather modest with hints of sunflower oil and melting butter on a freshly cut open croissant. The taste has more to offer than the Strathmill, with more spices and warm apple pie, hints of fresh apples and a sweetened oaky note, leaning towards a tropical influence. The alcohol hotness gets in the way of those tropical hints, let’s see what water gives us. Fresh oak on the nose, logs lying in a warm summer sun, flies buzzing round it. Very charmed by this Glendullan! Fruitcake all over. The taste also received an infusion of oak now, but the finish carries the fruit all the way. Some peppers are now blocking the pleasure, that is a pity. More water does not solve the problem.
Word to the Wise: A much more lively and interesting bottling compared to the Strathmill, but not without flaws. The fruit is there but cannot stand up against a heavy oak infusion. Still, if you manage to get past that, this is a fine and exciting dram.
Score: 83 points.
Balmenach 2010, 14 years old, bottled at 61,5 % abv by Gordon & MacPhail
First things first: A Spirit of Scotland bottling matured in a first fill sherry hogshead # 662 with a yield of 278 bottles.
Upon Sipping: Deep, golden colour, but almost no angel’s share in 14 years, always dangerous. The maturation did not develop into a classical sherry release, rather a dirty one with yoghurt cream, strawberry mousse and hints of sulphur. A beast indeed! Lots of wood and fruit on the tongue, but not much nuance to be found undiluted. Quite a sharp finish, that kicks back up the sulphur note. A deadly combination, one could say, knowing that Balmenach spirit in itself is quite a singular treat. It does not match completely here. With water gunpowder on the nose, the taste becomes dry and full of rubber. An overload of copper coins and black tea with too many leaves floating in the water. It picks itself up with a lot of time and a few good drops of water. More chocolate comes free, finally.
Word to the Wise: This is just a controversial sherry cask, plain and simple. It ruins all the nuance and all it does is scream. Lots of sulphur and gunpowder, to the point of undrinkable, even with some water in there. I would avoid this bottle, unless you are a masochist for this style.
Score: 78 points.