The Strathmill was one of the later 2001 additions to the Flora & Fauna range, necessitated after it was depleted in the 1990s by Diageo distilleries being sold off or closed. 

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 this single distillery bottling is the only permanently available 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.

Following on from the successful introduction of the Classic Malts range in 1988 (at the time only six expressions), United Distillers sought to build on this by releasing a further 22 single malts in 1991. These became affectionately known as the Flora & Fauna series, a term coined by whisky writer, Michael Jackson, in reference to their labels. The range showcased the lesser-seen distilleries from the company’s extensive portfolio at the time, with the intent of using collective branding to help them raise each other’s profiles. Despite four further additions in 2001, only a handful of these are still permanent distillery bottlings, making it a highly collectible series.