Strathisla 1963 G&M for Limburg
Added on Sunday, Apr 1, 2012 at 10:51 AM
  Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
  Age: 48 yrs Type: Scotch
  Vintage: 1963 Subtype: Single Malt
  ABV: 51.80 % Region: Highland
  Price: N/A Availability: Collectors Only

Distilled 21/02/1963     Bottled 24/03/2011     Cask no. 576     1st Fill Sherry Butt

Specially bottled for Limburg, Germany     "Book of Kells" label
About $370 on release.

Member Ratings and Notes
Sku
 

Nose:  Wow!  Wood, spice, fruit all mingled together, really brilliant.

Palate:  Sherry, dried apricots, spiced cider.

Finish: Mostly sherry.

 

Distinctly sherried without being a sherry bomb.  For 48 years in a first fill sherry cask, this is impressively balanced.

Fuji
 

N: Fresh cut red apples thats then candied and spiced!  Damn this nose has a lot to offer.  I also smelled candlewax, roses, potpourri, leather and mahagony.

P: Suprisingly the sherry notes are more resinous and darker than suggested on the nose. 

F: Long tongue coating finish.... sherry

 

I added a few drops of water and that seem to open up the flavors on the palate a bit. But its just as good with or without water.   This whisky just made me think of a christmas evening sitting in front of the fireplace.

Adam
 
At the meeting, I remember being entranced by this nose, thinking it was really cinnamony and raisiny. Taking a whiff again now, it reminds me why memory is so inexact. The nose is as awesome as I remember it -- but it's just so much more brightly alive then I recall, zesty almost, in a way that screams at you to drink it. Bright fruits, not the brooding, exclusively deep-n-dark type you'd expect for a 48yo 1st fill. A little coconut and of course oak.

The palate isn't as awesome as the nose, but that's not to say this isn't excellent whisky. 48 years of first-fill oak is definitely here, and it's very drying in the end. Yet I don't mind it. It's mildly sweet, and in line with that cinnamon-raisin nose. And really tasty.
 
Seeing Fuji's notes of what this makes him think of, I agree. My note to self when taking notes was: Save for a quiet, somewhat chilly night outside with friends. (I got me a 2nd bottle socked away!)
Tim
 
N: Niiiiiice. Light toffee, some bubblegum notes. Buttery.  
 
P: Rich and buttery on the palate. Warm, sweet molasses, white pepper. Very rich. Nice but not overbearing wood, gentle heat. 
 
F: Sweet and fruity, hint of bubblegum. Wood, lightly anesthetizing, a little cinnamon. After a minute an apple skin note. 
 
Very balanced! Great character, not overpowering, nice balanced sweetness. Good heat but not too much. 
Chris
 
N: Lots of wood, leather, pine sap, mesquite, minty.
P: Very extractive, purple tastes, chewy tea notes.   Based on my limited tastings, Strathisla seems to take on wood very nicely, and this is no exception.
F: Long and a bit sticky.  Tannins.
Kevin
 

N: Spicy red curried sherry. Seems to changes with every whiff. 

P: Hard to explain. Sweet & sour, but heavier on the sweetness. Layered, complex.

F: Just delicious, but too short for this sherried beast.

 

So nice and complex and just different from most things. Somehow it manages to be balanced throughout the complexity. Yum! 

Dan
 

Rich color. Sweet and cherry on the nose. Initial bust of fizz with a medium finish. This really wore on me over time. [3/20/12]

Andy
 

n:  Great!  New carpet and plums

 

p:  Dates.  Sweet and sticky toffee.  Damp wood.  Long finish. 

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