Strathmill 12 Year (2012), SMWS 100.45
“On the side of equilibrium”
1st fill shiraz hogshead
58.6% abv
Nose: Feisty and bold. Heat, peat (!?), and rich fruit reduction. Old leather. A little bit of clove. After water, a touch of popcorn. I think I get some coffee.
Palate: Also quite feisty and bold. The alcohol is not tame. That said, very rich fruits and sophisticated balance with leather, cigar, et al. Tons of black cherry. Anise and licorice.
Finish: Very nice transition, you almost forget you stopped chewing on the palate. Alcohol is coating, but you get the remnants of the black cherry – almost cough syrup and synthetic. Licorice and vanilla. Turns kind of bitter and chemical.
Score: 3/5
Mental Image: Disrupting equilibrium.
This has some fantastic elements. The heat is just too much, and the developing bitterness on the finish isn’t that pleasant. If I could surgically remove those elements, I think this would be really enjoyable. Water helps, but it’s still not there. SMWS’s name for this was the opposite of what I would’ve named it…