OB Cask Strength Edition 15yo 55.4% - Strathisla

[Mark C]

Chivas Brothers distillery bottling. Batch no. SI 15 005. 1991 - 2006, 50cl.

Sample courtesy of Ralfy.

Colour: Dark gold - light amber.

Nose: Strong alcohol burn with a nutty woodiness behind that. Cinnamon and raisins follow with sweetness that I can't quite place. Jaffa cakes? Marshmallows?

Palate: Very salty. It forces you to swallow it. I'm not sure if that's a good thing. I'll try again - less salty at first but fairly bitter this time. Had to swallow it again!

Finish: Salty, bitter chocolate. Lots of salt and white pepper and a hint cigar tobacco. Rough! Some burnt orangey sweetness comes through, though.

With water: Tobacco leaf to the fore, leather and smoke on the nose. Maybe even the slightest hint of sulphur. The palate is less salty and bitter but lacks the punch. The finish is also pretty similar but just dulled down a notch and becoming more vegetal.

Comments: If this whisky was a cartoon character it would be Popeye. It's a real old salty dog of a whisky that packs a fair punch and smokes a pipe. Rough as nails but it has a certain charm about it too. I don't think I could drink this all night, but one of these chucked into the mix during, or at the end, of a session would be a great contrast.