Strathisla Distillery
Strathisla Distillery |
Founded
in 1786 as Milltown distillerhis is the oldest continuously
operating distillery in Scotland. It was established by George
Taylor, a wealthy businessman who invested in distilling as an
alternative to the waning fortunes of the flax dressing industry.
He
was leased the land by the Earl of Seafield for the purpose. In order
to take advantage of the lower rate of duty provided for by the Wash
Act, Taylor supplemented his income with a second, illicit, still.
He
was fined £500 by the Excise for the trouble! In the 1820s Taylor
suffered a riding accident and by 1830 it was owned by William
Longmore, then William Longmore Ltd.
Strathisla Distillery |
During
the 1870s and '80s, the strathisla distillery was known as Strathisla', but
seems to have reverted to 'Milltown' in about 1890. In 1879 the
distillery suffered considerable fire damage and was rebuilt,
including the addition of a bottling plant.
In
1940 the company and distillery were bought by a fraudulent
financier, Jay Pomeroy, who was convicted in 1949 of evading XI11,038
in tax by selling its make under different names on the black market.
Two
years later it was acquired by James Barclay of Chivas Bros (which
had itself been bought by Seagrams in 1949), and the name became
Strathisla once more, during the 1950s.
Strathisla Distillery |
Strathisla Distillery tasting notes
Prop @
12 Years: Mid
amber in colour, the unreduced nose is
of toffee, hazelnuts and sherry. With water it becomes fruitier, with
some toasted cereal and malt appearing. Smooth and well rounded to
taste, with a sweet start and a dry finish; complex and well
balanced.
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