Strathmill 1996/2025 28 Year Old Saint-Julien Wine Cask Finish - Murray McDavid (70cl, 52.9%)

This is a 28-year-old Speyside single malt from Strathmill, distilled in 1996 and bottled in spring 2025 by Murray McDavid for its Mission Gold series. It comes in a 70cl bottle at 52.9% ABV, without chill-filtering or added colour. The whisky first matured in a bourbon hogshead. It then spent its last four years in Saint-Julien red wine barriques from Bordeaux, which had not previously held whisky. The bottling is 516 bottles, drawn from casks 2110001 and 2120001. The nose offers red currants, leathery oak and prunes. On the palate come chocolatey malt, raspberries and firm honey, and the finish leaves ripe fruit, creamy mocha and pepper.