New Release: Strathisla 14 Year Old Official Hand Bottled Batch No.1

Hand bottling has now started at Strathisla. Strathisla STRATHISLA 14yo OB HAND BOTTLING BATCH No.1 57.8% The aroma features vanilla, orange, apple, oak, flowers, and a youthful yet strong barley note. Upon tasting, the flavors of orange, vanilla, and oak are well-defined, with a rich barley character full of umami, honey-like sweetness, and a slightly oily, oaky finish. [Good/Very Good] Visiting the Strathisla distillery, it seems that this is the first batch of bottles filled by hand. Recently, there has been an increase in bottles that can only be obtained through such visits to the distillery. While it's likely that selling bottles in this way at the distillery doesn't bring significant profit, it is certainly a joy for fans. Regarding the essential content, there's a hint of youthfulness but also a good bourbon cask nuance in both aroma and flavor, with rich barley character, honey-like sweetness, and a pleasant oak nuance. Working backward, it was likely distilled around 2000, but there's no real sense of immaturity, which suggests that they selected a good cask. Indeed, since the 2000s onward, more Speyside whiskies have become enjoyable when good casks are chosen.