Kategoriarkiv: Islay

Ileach, Islay, Unspecified Distillery

The Ileach

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 6
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first, the peat with notes of hay and vanilla incense fills the nose. When the first impact resides it reveals a fruity middle layer. It’s ripe raspberries and a sweet and sour lemon freshness. The backdrop consists of a dry earthiness and cold ashes. With time in the glass it grows sweeter and a honey note comes through. This is a nice nose with enough things to find to make it interesting.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet with a full impact of ashy peat. After it settles it brings notes of honey-glazed barbeque meat with the fresh lemon note in the background. The red berry note is not as pronounced as on the nose, but it still in there to find. The background is still earthy and now also slightly medicinal. After a few seconds it starts to lean over towards a vanilla note. It never feels watery or too mild.

Finish: At first there’s just a second or two without anything happening. First to arrive is a bitter note and oak together with a medicinal peatiness. The fruitiness is gone and it’s basically a decent oakiness and the peatiness from here on out. The oak surpasses the peat in the end. This feels somewhat young but it is very much a bang-for-the-buck whisky.

Additional information
The Ileach is a single malt made by an undisclosed islay distillery. It’s bottled by the independent bottler Vintage Malt Whisky Co’s sister company Highlands & Islands Whisky Co. There is a cask strength version available too.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – Tempest I

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ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Underneath lies a mix of tropical fruits, lemon and a mild leathery peat. It’s malty and round in the middle and the whole thing comes through as warm and welcoming. There’s a mixed spices note coming through towards the edges as well. With time in the glass the vanilla and honey sweetness grows bigger. This is a great nose which makes a good introduction to the rest of the journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness up front and the peatiness sitting in the back together with a lemon note. The peat is now a mix of leather and campfire smoke. It’s a lot more powerful and rich compared to the nose but a bit less sweet and a bit more mineraly. There’s a nice and mellow bitter note in the background and a sprinkle of seasalt too, which adds another dimension to the otherwise dessert-like character.

Finish: A big burst of mixed tropical fruits spread across the palate. The spicyness is rather consistant through the transition and so is the peatiness. It still feels very warm and approachable. The campfire smoke side of the peat soon start to take over and mix with the now detectable oakiness and the tropical fruits. This creates an extremely nice and fruity background note with a nice and mellow vanilla oakiness within. This set-up stays for a long and absolutely amazing finish. This is a fantastic whisky through and through.

Additional information
This whisky comes from the first batch of six in the Tempest series. It was aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. 12000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Auriverdes

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ABV: 49.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich peatiness with honey and burnt oak within. On top there’s a menthol layer which mixes with a mild vanilla note. When it settles there are notes of coastal air, with a hint of saltiness, coming through while the oakiness increases in intensity. The and sweet notes move backwards and create a solid background. This is a great nose. It’s a bit unbalanced overall but still makes an impact. It’s quite straight forward though.

Mouth: It starts out with spicy black pepper on top, a sweet peatiness within and a lemon note in the back. After a few seconds it becomes bitter and a coffee note forms in the back. The menthol note becomes pepparmint and the oakiness slowly coats most of the palate. It feels quite savory in the back at this point, yet there’s a dry soil note as well and it works as a contrast. It feels a bit messy and there’s a lot of flavours, but they are all over the place.

Finish: The peppermint spreads out over the palate as the bitter coffee and oak notes continue to fill up the background. The lemon note has disappeared. The peat is now very dry and it comes through as a burning campfire with emphasis on the burnt oak. The sweetness is gone but the coastal notes pop up down the line. The late finish is peat and oak with the lemon sourness returning in the back. This is a great whisky. It’s a bit chaotic and the flavours are moving around which makes it a bit hard to follow along.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2014. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels with heavily roasted cask lids. The release was limited. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Perpetuum

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ABV: 47.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. A heavy layer of vanilla and an ashes from a recently burnt out campfire is dominating the first impression. The vanilla has an unscented lotion vibe to it, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s a saltiness and a medicinal note sitting somewhere in the middle. The sherry cask influence is very subtle but there is a small scent of raspberries coming through. This is very pleasant.

Mouth: The arrival is very medicinal with a touch of black pepper and a honey sweetness. After that it takes a while for the peat to create an ashy outer layer and, when it settles, a quite fruity inside. Raspberries are still dominating but there are some darker fruit notes detectable. It’s got an oily texture. Lemon, vanilla and just a hint of the oakiness come through after a few seconds without pushing any of the other flavours aside.

Finish: A burst of black pepper passes by before it returns to the ashy peat that are mixed with a nice vanilla driven oakiness and some chocolate. The lemon note still sits in the back and it’s still medicinal. The finish is complex and there are many flavours following along far down the road. The flavours somehow switch halfway down the road and the darker fruits is now creating a layer surrounding the oak, the peat and a sweet honey note. This is a beast in formal wear. Pure excellence.

Additional information
The Perpetuum was released 2015 as a 200-year celebration bottling. This is the 2020 re-release. It’s a mix of both young and very old whisky, matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

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ABV: 57.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, slightly fruity and very peaty. Cold ashes from a burnt out woodfire is dominating the first impression. There are vanilla and, both fresh and ripe, dark berries lurking in the background. It’s got a coastal character and it’s very medicinal. The oak is coming through around the edges of the glass. The vanilla grows more pronounced over time and the fruity note seems to be leaning towards blueberries. This is a very nice complex nose.

Mouth: It starts with a sweet honey layer on top, but underneath it’s very salty and spicy. After a second or two the full peat impact comes rushing in. The peat is now a bit warmer and rounded, but it stays salty and peaty with a medicinal iodine note. A pine note is now peeking through from the back together with the vanilla. The fruitiness is also found, but it seems to bounce around between the other flavours which makes it hard to pinpoint. It still comes through as berries though.

Finish: A sharp spicyness and black pepper flare up and then the honey, vanilla and pine notes return. The fruitiness is still intertwined with the peat and the medicinal side to it becomes more pronounced. The blueberry note keeps on popping up from time to time, but when the oakiness starts to build up it slowly fades away. The oak brings dark chocolate, black coffee and more of the vanilla. The black pepper stays all the way through the finish. This is a great, complex whisky with a lot of exploring opportunities.

Additional information
The Corryvreckan was originally a committee release but it’s now a part of their core range. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels, european ex-sherry casks and european ex-Burgundy red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colours.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 09.1 – Dialogos

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ABV: 59.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2012 with a PPM value of 156. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 5 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 12.3

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ABV: 62.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and heavily peated. At first there’s a very sooty peat and a honey and vanilla sweetness coming out of the glass. Underneath lies some coastal notes like ocean air and a hint of seaweed. When it starts to settle and the nose gets accustomed to the intense flavours there’s a floral note on top and some sweet, mild berries underneath arriving slowly. It’s very approachable and the high ABV is just creating a mellow minty layer on top. There are many notes floating by, such as chocolate, iodine, violets, oak etc. This makes the experience feel like a treasure hunt. This is a great nose. It’s incredibly rich and interesting to explore.

Mouth: It starts out with a chili spicyness surrounding the palate while the center part immidiately grows into a big ball of honey, vanilla and a sooty, mineral rich peatiness. In the background there’s a savory note as well as a black coffee/dark chocolate bitterness sitting together with some ripe berries. There are hints of assorted nuts and the oakiness is slowly arriving out towards the edges. A lemon peel note is found in the background mix as well. The heavy peat seems to merge with everything else and it doesn’t feel as peaty as on the nose.

Finish: The transition starts with a quick flare of the red berries and lemon before the chili spicyness returns. The sweet center never really reaches the same height as before which gives room for a mix of coastal notes, iodine, lemon, coffee, soot and oak. These notes lasts for a long time before the finish starts to fade. It becomes slightly dry and astringent in the late finish and the oakiness is fresh and decent. It’s not the most characterful oakiness, but it does its job while the sooty peat lingers. This is a fantastic and powerful whisky with a lot to offer to those who dare to venture beyond the peat. It’s an extremely flavourful experience.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for 5 years in first fill ex-american whiskey casks (75%) and first fill ex-PX sherry casks (25%). The PPM value is 118.1. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 8 YO Discussion Committee Release

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ABV: 50.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich campfire smoke-like peat sitting on top of a center part which includes honey, vanilla, a hint of sweet liquorice and unscented hand lotion. On top there’s a mild menthol note and underneath lies a small hint of assorted berries and citrus fruits. When it starts to settle the peat merges with the sweetness and the background notes become clearer. There’s a hint of leather and nuts coming through, as well as a more sticky sweetness. There’s a nice complexity to it with a youthful mix together with more mature notes. This is a really great nose which had a lot to offer behind the big peatiness.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild and sweet honey and vanilla note and a very mineral rich peat. On the outside there’s a mild black pepper spicyness and coastal notes as well. The background notes are really gritty with dark overripe raisins, earthy and oily peat notes, a hint of sulfur and a dark chocolate bitterness. Even though there’s a lot of demanding flavours it really comes through as approachable. There are some harsher notes floating around but they seem to be needed to give it the roughness it deserves. The whole seems very logical and balanced.

Finish: The transition is calm and it just seem to carry on delivering the same profile as before. The gritty and complex background notes really take some steps forward which is a really good thing. The middle part of the finish is just amazing with just a perfect mix of peat, fruitiness and sweetness. The dark chocolate stays in the back giving it a nice depth. The oakiness comes through late and it’s not pushing itself through. The mild intensity really suits the journey and gives it a nice send-off. This is a great whisky through and through. It really shows off the house style with a nice added fruity bonus.

Additional information
This committee release was aged in ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Kelpie

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very oaky campfire smoke with a big spoonful of vanilla. It’s sweet and honeyed, but it also comes through as quite mineral rich and has a medicinal character which really isn’t normal for the Ardbeg house style. There’s iodine, a hint of stone and liquorice as well. Underneath there’s a mix of apples and brine. In between it’s sligtly floral as well. This is a great nose with a very interesting character. It’s very fun to explore and has some real complexity to it.

Mouth: It starts out with a big honey sweetness and a nice spicyness. Inside the sweetness is a mix of smoked meat, sea salt and malt. The peatiness is still strong and seem to push a bit of the heavy oak away. It’s mineral rich and medicinal in taste as well. There are notes of liquorice and vanilla but the longer into the journey, the oakier it gets. It doesn’t take long before it becomes slightly unpleasant in the mouth.

Finish: The finish starts out with a whiff of coastal notes, malt and an umami note in the back. There’s also fruity and floral notes floating by. It’s at this point very nice but it doesn’t take long before the oakiness once again takes over. The longer the finish goes the oakier it gets and it’s not an especially interesting oakiness. This is a very good whisky with a very interesting nose. It becomes slightly over-oaked as the journey progresses.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in mix of ex-bourbon barrels and Black sea oak casks from russia. This is the retail release. A higher ABV Committee release also exists. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 10 YO

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a warm, sweet, and ”wet” peatiness, like smoke from a campfire when water is thrown on it to put it out. There’s honey, vanilla and an unscented lotion note. There are also a touch of seaweed, brine and iodine. There’s a feint hint of green fruits and lemon far away in the back. This is a very nice nose. It’s not especially complex but it’s still interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with very sweet honey and vanilla, which turns into a big burst of savory smoke. The honey note lies up front and it’s carried by a black pepper spicyness, some seasalt and a touch of bitterness. The lotion note is in there bit it’s not as pronounced as on the nose. It’s a quite mineral rich peat and it’s slightly dry.

Finish: The finish starts with menthol, honey, lemon and bittersweet smoke. It’s still savory and the wet burned wood carries through. The peat is very much the main event but the honey note isn’t far behind. The oak is slightly bitter. The finish is a never-ending story with a tar note appearing when the wet oak subsides. This is a great whisky. It’s not the most complex experience but it does its job extremely well.

Additional information
This whisky was launched in the year 2000 and is the entry level in Ardbegs core range. It’s aged in both first fill and refill ex-bourbon oak barrels. The barley has 55 ppm. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2011. It was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels (75 %) and european ex-wine casks (25 %) for 6 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 13 YO Anthology – Harpy’s Tale

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very sweet peatiness with a lot of vanilla and a hint of unscented lotion. It’s quite ashy and mineral rich and the peat feels very Ardbeg-esque, as it should. There’s a sweet fruity mix surrounding the center in a thin layer, which sort of feels thicker up front. It’s lemon curd and honey with a fresher undefined bright fruitiness within. As it settles in the glass there’s a toffee note appearing as well as coastal salty vibes. This is a great nose and a nice and sweet take on the otherwise rough housestyle.

Mouth: It starts out with a mineral rich peatiness with and ashy top note and a lemony backdrop. There’s a speck of dust and an iodine medicinal note whitin as well. It’s not as sweet in taste as on the nose and the character overall shifts towards a more standard profile. The lemony backdrop spreads out towards the sides and there’s a very nice mellow spicyness spreading out over the palate. The coastal notes follow along to the taste as well. The oakiness is in there at this point but it still lurks within vanilla and a slight bitter note.

Finish: The transition is slightly uneventful and everything keeps the same level throughout. It almost feels like it could do with a bit more power at this point. The unscented lotion note returns in the late finish and the peat coats the entire mouth which creates a nice three dimensional feel. The lemony notes and the oak is taking front stage in the late, late finish. It’s a nice, slightly dusty oakiness with a hint of hazelnuts. This is a great whisky. The seuternes casks fits really well with the heavy housestyle, but it feels like it brings down the madness a bit too much.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-seuternes wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 8 YO – 200th Anniversary Edition

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very ashy, warm and sweet. There are big honey, vanilla and butterscotch flavours and the oak is surrounding its sweet heart. There’s a salty, seaweed, ocean note coming through from the distillate. A hint of lemon is the only fruity contribution. There’s also a fresh minty breeze. It has some fresh youthness to it, but not in a harsh way. It complements the ashy notes and makes it pop from the glass. This is a very good, simple peaty nose.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet and spicy. The peat still shows up as ashes, but it’s not as dry as on the nose. The lemon finds a friend in some green apples. Overall it’s still salty and peaty. There’s some vanilla cream in the background which gives a nice base to the sweetness. It’s very viscous and oily on the palate

Finish: First comes a big spicy burst before it switches to an ashy and sweet character once again. There’s a savory bacon note coming along with the salty notes. The cask influence is strong but the oak is laid back. It’s not dry nor astringent. The honey, vanilla and butterscotch show up, stay a while and then fade away to give room to the ashy peat, which stays long after everything else. It’s a very pleasant finish overall. This is a great, straight forward peaty whisky.

Additional information
This was a special release in 2016. It has since then been added to the core range. It’s aged in refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. The release is an homage to a statement from journalist Alfred Barnard in the 1880’s, referring to an 8 YO Lagavulin as ”exceptionally fine”.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release

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ABV: 50.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet peat and red berries. The initial impact is quite medicinal and rowdy. After a few seconds a sweet, rounded baseline emerges with notes of hot burning wood together with unscented lotion and vanilla cream. On top there are iodine and salty coastal notes. The fruitiness starts to come through as an outer layer and slowly takes over. It’s overripe black grapes and plums. There’s also a cooling mint effect up front. This is an interesting nose.

Mouth: At first the vanilla sweetness and the warm peatiness swells up. It’s still hot burning wood and now there’s a hay note coming through. It’s quite mild and the red wine influence has a juicy vibe to it with fresh red and black berries. There are still coastal notes and a small touch of iodine, but those are pushed back into the background. It’s slightly astringent and the oakiness shines through in the background.

Finish: A minty cloud passes by before the juicy berries and the warm peatiness return. The medicinal and coastal notes still reside in the background and the finish mirrors the mouth very well. The whole thing feels slightly subdued. The oak is fashionably late, but when it arrives it’s a very tasty nutty oakiness with hazelnuts a hint of dust on top. The overripe grapes and plums return as a thin note following along through the entire finish. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Additional information
The Blaack is a 2020 limited release exclusive to the Ardbeg committee members. It’s aged in ex-Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 12 YO Special Release 2023 – The ink of Legends

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ABV: 56.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was first aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in Don Julio Añejo Tequila casks. This is a limited release.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Smoketrails – Manzanilla Edition (2022)

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes

Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich and warm peatiness with a side note of unscented lotion. When it settles it becomes sweeter and a layer of ripe fruits and almonds start to form around the center but there’s also a small fresher green fruitiness in the back. The nuttiness increases with time and the sweetness from the ripe notes mellows the peatiness and creates a nicely balanced, yet very peaty, profile. The peatiness contains notes of smoked ham and a hint of oak as well. This is a great nose overall with a lot to offer. There’s a shift from rowdy to settled which is really nice to follow along with.

Mouth: It starts out with a bit milder than expected. The first thing to arrive is a mix of sweet honey, ripe berries, black coffee and a lemon note in the back. It doesn’t take long before the very mineral rich peatiness comes rushing in together with a peppery spicyness and some burnt toast. There’s a menthol overlay and the coffee note moves to the back. It feels slightly chaotic and lacks balance at this point. It has good flavours, but they’re not working together.

Finish: The transition slowly pulls everything together again and the sweetness, the ripe notes and the peatiness all just line up and merge. The Black pepper spicyness stays on the edges of the palate and let’s everything shine. There’s umami, minerals and warm oaky peat moving everything along. At one point there’s a wet sock note which is sort of odd, but it disappears quickly and the late finish is all about an oaky warm campfire with a hint of nuts and ripe fruit on the side. This is a great whisky. It’s nowhere near perfect and feels a bit unbalanced at times, but it still delivers a solid and interesting experience.

Additional information
This limited travel retail exclusive whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and manzanilla sherry casks from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky is a limited peated release exclusive to travel retail. There is no information about maturation period or casks used. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!

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ABV: 51.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is green fruits and peat. At first there’s a green pear and apple fruitiness with a spicy, mineral heavy peatiness. When it settles a layer of minty candy cane gets mixed into the fruitiness. There’s vanilla and, when given time, an unscented lotion note as well. The oakiness is present as an outside layer together with the peat which create a warm burnt woodfire note. The rye is also in there, but it’s not especially ”bready”. This is a great nose which feels lively and there’s a lot of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and spicy with a big dose of peppermint spreading out. Underneath the peat still comes through as mineral heavy with an aura of burnt wood. The rye sits a bit back on the palate and gives the whole thing a quite unique character in combination with the peatiness. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back as well as some coastal notes. The fruitiness is now almost completely gone.

Finish: The transition starts with small increase of the spicyness before it turns to a mix of oak, peat and rye bread. The sweetness has subsided and it’s more focused on the bitter side which has a hazelnut vibe to it when combined with the oakiness. The longer the finish last, the more of the rye bread and the oak comes through. The fruitiness peeks through as well. The peatiness moves out to an outer layer and stays a good while down the late finish. It becomes somewhat astingent in the end. This is a great whisky with a very interesting profile.

Additional information
The Arrrrrrrdbeg! is a limited committee release celebrating Mickey Heads retirement. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in ex-rye casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Big Peat, Douglas Laing, Independent bottlers, Islay

Douglas Laing’s Big Peat Christmas 2017 Limited Edition

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ABV: 54.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very savory, honeyglazed liquid bacon peatiness with an ashy campfire overlay. It’s mineral rich with a young and spirity iodine note. There’s not much complexity to the whole and it’s slightly metallic in the back. This is a very good nose with a straight forward, well executed peat driven character.

Mouth: It starts out by coating the palace with a mixed sweetness. It doesn’t take long before a very spicy and dry peatiness arrives. It’s very ashy and has tobacco, minerals and umami notes within. Honey and a touch of vanilla are present, as well as a dried oak note. It’s young and rowdy and still come through as very straight forward with a focus on the peat effect.

Finish: The ashiness increases throughout the transition and the character becomes slightly different. The peatiness loses many flavours and becomes a bit boring. There’s a bitterness in the back and a weird, slightly unpleasant note somewhere in the middle. In the late finish it’s just a burnt oak dried oak. This is a good whisky which delivers its promise. The peat have interesting sides to it which makes the experience a nice experience.

Additional information
Douglas Laing released Big Peat Christmas Edition for the first time in 2011. This 2017 edition contains whiskies from 7 islay distilleries. Named distilleries are Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen. It’s cask strength, has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 5 YO – Wee Beastie

3 kommentarer

ABV: 47,4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and medicinal. At first there are notes of seaweed, minerals and smoke from a hot burning campfire. In the background there’s a sweetness with vanilla and unscented hand lotion attached to it. It’s young and quite rowdy even though there’s a very thin but dampering layer of red berries resting on top of everything else. It still leans very heavy towards the distillate and not on the cask influence. With time in the glass the minerals and a hint of iodine moves forward. This is an unsettled dram, but it’s still a welcoming and interesting nose.

Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and medicinal. It takes a second or two for the sweetness to come through and when it does, it never really becomes more than a background noise. It’s salty and the seaweed is still in there, but it’s not as coastal as the nose suggest. The campfire smoke is now creating an outer layer surrounding everything. After a second or two there is a slight ripe and dark fruitiness floating around in the back together with the vanilla sweetness and a hint of dark chocolate.

Finish: It starts out by presenting all the background flavours without anything up front. It’s a combined layer of vanilla and unscented lotion, ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate and burnt oak. After a few second the main flavours start to build up. It produces the same flavours once again with seaweed, minerals, iodine and seasalt. There is a metallic note coming through in the late finish which gives away the young age. This is not a balanced and well behaved whisky. It’s young and rowdy both in smell and taste, but it still produces a nice experience.

Additional information
Wee Beastie was added to the Ardbeg core range in 2020. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry butts. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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