Strathmill 2004 (bottled 2017) - Connoisseurs Choice (70cl, 46%)
Strathmill 2004 vintage Speyside single malt Scotch whisky. Matured in refill bourbon barrels, bottled 2017 by Gordon & MacPhail for the Connoisseurs Choice series.
Strathmill is a somewhat elusive single malt. The distillery was built in 1892 as Glenisla, and was renamed three years later by new owners, W&A Gilbey. A series of mergers over the years brought Gilbey's into the IDV fold, and Strathmill became a key component in its Justerini & Brooks blends (J&B). Now owned by Diageo, this remains the arrangement to this day. Such is the demand on its output by the blend, that only a single distillery bottling is permanently available, the Flora & Fauna release. A Diageo special release and a Manager's Dram are the only other official bottlings, and it is similarly rare independent releases like this that present the best chance to try Strathmill.
The Connoisseurs Choice label is one of the most recognisable independent bottlings on the market. It was initially created for renowned Italian importer, Edoardo Giaccone in the early 1970s, but became a mainstay of the core Gordon & MacPhail portfolio in 1979.