G&M Connoisseurs Choice Strathmill 2009

Established as a grocery business in 1895, James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail began curating all manner of groceries including whisky. In 1915 a young associate named John Urquhart joined the company and quickly established himself as master of malt maturation. George Urquhart, a member of the second generation Urquhart’s at G&M, created the iconic Connoisseurs Choice range which broke new ground by giving a platform to many of Scotland’s single malt distilleries from across all regions, some of which had never before been bottled as a single malt.

The Strathmill Distillery has virtually no official bottlings of its own, so whisky lovers  rely on bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail for a taste of Strathmill’s single malt whisky. This is a 14-year-old, bourbon-aged Strathmill from Cask #802552. Total worldwide outturn: 192 bottles.

Nose: Tropical citrus aromas, oak spices, vanilla and orchard stone fruit.
        
Palate: Clementine orange carries from nose, flakey apricot Tarte Tatin, with a hint of spiciness.         
        
Finish: Fast drying finish with lingering spice and damp oakiness.