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Whisky Tasting Journey: December 2008
By Glen Karlovitch

Flora Fauna

The ‘Flora Fauna’ range is a collection of 26 distillery expressions from former UDV which is now part Diageo. The range was primarily intended for the UK market and was made up of the various distilleries in the UDV stable. What made the line truly unique and successful was that it offered the consumer the opportunity to purchase a distillery quality bottling from distilleries that for the most part were only available under independent labels, if at all. Great distilleries like Mortlach, Inchgower and Dailhaine were now able to ‘show off’ a bit and break out of the drudgery of just producing whisky for blending.

The line nicknamed ‘Flora Fauna’ by the great whisky writer Michael Jackson has developed a great following and many of the expressions are becoming exceedingly difficult to find. These bottles aren’t available in the US but with a little ingenuity, frequent trips to Scotland and some hard work, we’ve been able to secure most of them.

This month’s journey focuses several of these expressions that range from the average to the extraordinary.

Dailuaine 16 year old: A rich and robust smoky Speyside. Dailuaine offers wonderful depth and its rich and warming character make it the perfect cold-weather dram. This one should come with a fireplace and a premium cigar. It noses like a rich Speyside and finishes like a great smoky Highland. Perfect balance. Nose: Clean and rich, oak, sherry, touch of smoke, sweet, cherry cordials, a touch of peat to round it off Body: Medium and smooth Finish: Long and dry, smoky, sharp and warming A brilliant dram.

Benrinnes 15 year old: I was intrigued by this mahogony colored dram as it sat on the shelves of the Oban distillery shop, so I just had to pick it up. The old Flora & Fauna line usually never disappoints so I was fairly comfortable with my purchase even though I never actually tried the liquid inside. Unfortunately, the experience of buying this dram outweighed its contents. The dram was unbalanced with an overabundance of sherry and youthful grassiness, and much too much heat in the finish. It does improve with a heavy pour of water. Nose: Grassy and youthful, bitter sherry, bittersweet chocolate, orange peel Body: Soft, velvety Finish: Long, very sharp and drying, stays with you (but not in a good way), malty, oak, sherry, vanilla Nothing really appealing with this one.

Mortlach 16 year old: In my opinion, this is one of the best whiskies in the world. The perfect Speyside, which offers rich, full flavor with amazing drinkability. By far the best of the Flora & Fauna line. It’s almost criminal that Diageo doesn’t offer a distillery bottling of this great whisky. Since most of the production goes into Johnnie Walker, this dram is difficult to find. If you can find it, horde it at all costs. Nose: Big and rich, floral, ripe Macintosh apples, almonds, sherry, oranges, touch of smoke, butterscotch coming through at the very end Body: Full Finish: Long and smoky balanced by sherry; warming A truly GREAT Speyside.

Inchgower 14 year old: I was an Instant fan of this one. Great nose and finish that's a little untamed and wild. Has that coastal character that I love, like Scapa, Oban & Old Pulteney. Nose: Light, spirity, briny, some cloves, fresh Body: Medium, warming Finish: Dry, sweet, salty and has some bite A beautiful untamed gem!

Mannochmore 12 year old: A nice whisky that had an impressive lingering finish. The Flora Fauna range is one of our favorites and It’s a crime that they aren’t available in the US. This dram had a very light nose, a medium body, but a nice flavorful finish saves the day. Not the best Mannochmore I’ve had but a respectable dram all in all. Nose: Light, not very aromatic, some malt Body: Medium Finish: Sharp, medium length, lingering This one’s all in the finish.

Strathmill 12 year old: An exceptionally smooth and rich dram from the Flora Fauna range, this expression is a winner. A sherried whisky that’s rich and flavorful without being overly sweet. The sherry was slightly more pronounced then I would have liked but this whisky is still very enjoyable. A very perfumed nose with ripe fruit and wine. I did pick up a slight hint of fish oil as well. The body is chewy and the finish is medium length smooth and dry. The Flora Fauna range seems to never disappoint. Nose: Perfumed, over rip fruit, wine, malt, nutty, fish oil Body: Chewy Finish: Flavorful and starts big, mellows to a smooth dryness, medium length Big and flavorful, Incredibly smooth.