Stronachie 18 A. D. Rattray [Re-Review]

Thanks to /u/WDMC-905 for the sample.

Every so often I have someone who doesn’t agree with my reviews. And when it isn’t the usual suspects who are snarky, they ask me nicely and I eventually find a new dram to re-review it. Sometimes my score changes, sometimes I’m drinking Tobermory and it’s not better.

However what usually doesn’t happen is someone actually offers me the bloody replacement dram. Which I’ll thank WDMC-905 for doing this time. He found it odd that my last review of this one had a sushi smell to it.

In checking the dram again, I have an explanation for it. So let’s see how the second review of Stronachie 18 A.D. Rattray goes compared to the first.

Stronachie, for those of you who missed last time, is a dead distillery that A.D. Rattray have tried to recreate with barrels from Benrinnes.

Let’s see how it tastes, shall we? Again? Maybe? I don’t know, let’s just drink.

Price: N/A at the LCBO

Region: Speyside

Abv: 46%

Colour: 5Y 9/6

Nose: Lemon pudding, red licorice, rice wine vinegar, custard, nectarine, bay leaf

Similar to before, the lemon with cream note is the initial note. There’s a lot of butter, here, I didn’t get graham crackers this time, and more red fruit versus last time.

The sushi note makes more sense now. Given a lot of time, there’s this nice, light vinegar note that doesn’t overpower anything. It’s just somewhat there, adds a nice dimension to it.

Taste: Caramel, cinnamon, orange, grit, nectarine, floral

Similar to last time. The grit of this time and the graham cracker line up. More cinnamon than rosemary this time, however the floral notes are still there, mixing with the stone fruit and orange.

About the same as last time.

Finish: Butter, toffee, pepper, vanilla, peanut, wet cardboard

More caramel this time on the finish, but still earthy. And there’s still a rough flavour at the end. Not loving it.

Don’t know why I had more herbal flavours last time. Too bad.

Conclusion: So less herbal this time, still the same amount of butter, and overall the same odd vinegar note on the nose. Really, I think if you’re having this one, look for butter, some cream notes, a nose that is way better than the taste or finish, and an off note in the finish.

72/100

Scotch review #567, Speyside review #175, Whisky Network review #942