Strathmill 12 Year Flora & Fauna

A light, easily drinkable whiskey that didn't overly impress me, the Strathmill 12yo Flora and Fauna. My initial experience with this distillery was a pleasant one. Bottled at 43% ABV, pale straw color. On the nose, it actually smells grainy. There are cooked yellow apples, like applesauce. Some citrus notes, creamy chocolate fudge. It's a bit harsh and alcoholic on the nose. Lots of fruit, especially apples. It remains challenging on the nose after the first sip, but a remarkably clean honey note appears. Still a lot of alcohol on the nose after a second sip. Dulce de leche emerged. It's not terrible, just a little harsh. After some time, the burnt grass that I later found in the aftertaste also appears on the nose. I let it breathe for 10 minutes. The alcohol dissipated, but the apple notes persisted. On the palate, it's quite good. Nice creamy vanilla with apple notes present. Pepper and cinnamon. The second sip reveals dulce de leche with apples, which is actually a nice combination. It's not bad at all on the palate. It's very sweet and pleasant for the first few seconds, then shows a little roughness, but not unpleasantly so. Remember when I said the harshness on the nose faded after 10 minutes? Well, it transferred to the palate. On the fourth sip, there's only alcohol and no aftertaste. The aftertaste isn't the best. Burnt grass and hints of peat. Apple liqueur. Old apples. Overall, this is an average whiskey. I believe its original price of $50.00 would have been fair. It's neither bad nor great. A score of 73 out of 100.

Aroma: The nose is cereal-forward with a bit of vanilla and a strong malty base. It's sweet and full, with hints of apple, honey, and caramel. Taste: A rich, sweet, silky-smooth arrival. Brown sugar and malt, vanilla, custard, hazelnuts. As it develops, some cocoa comes forward. The texture is light. Finish: Medium length. Sweet and cereal/malty. Similar to Teaninich 10 year, this whisky strongly reminded me of Johnnie Walker. I'd bet it's a component in their blends, likely going into Black Label more than Red Label. It's enjoyable and easy to drink, with the only drawbacks being its lightness and a faint sugary/mineral note that appears midway through. This note persists to the end. Adding water is not advised. The aroma loses its character and becomes like pear juice, and the taste falls apart. This whisky doesn't handle dilution well. The only benefit of adding water is that the aftertaste is less noticeable. It's quite expensive for its quality and is only worth getting if you aim to try the entire Flora & Fauna series. However, it is an above-average malt, just. "Above Average": 80/100 (3 stars)

We enjoyed a serving of this at the tasting bar at Oban Distillery, which features a quite good selection of Diageo's single malt range, especially their Flora & Fauna series. Strathmill is primarily used as a blending component, and its suitability is evident here. It provides a solid malty foundation that allows other whiskies to take the lead in a blend. Released as part of the Flora & Fauna line, this is a respectable dram for casual drinking, but nothing more. The aroma is a typical, mild Highland scent with light honey, oats, and moderate minerality. The palate is sweet, like jumping straight to dessert with apple pie and a glass of sherry.

This whiskey truly presents as two distinct parts. The positive aspects include a rich, viscous honey and vanilla profile. The less favorable aspect is a shorter, slightly bitter finish. Initially, the longer I consumed it, the latter seemed to overpower the former, but it eventually found a better balance. Rating 3.5, rounding up because I don't like to disrespect the departed (i.e., discontinued):-)

I'm surprisingly enjoying this whisky and am impressed by its complexity: brewed tea, lemon peels, the faintest hints of smoke, and something that reminds me of a bowl of Corn Flakes with sugar sprinkled on it - quite tasty. The finish is also robust and satisfying.

Aroma: oak, vanilla, maple woods, American oak. Plum and perfumed notes. Nuts and ginger. Floral earth Taste: sugar, oak, vanilla bean, brioche, icing, sugared almonds, butter sherry in the background, some mild pepper Aftertaste: pepper, lemongrass, wood and an oily green fruit.