Etikettarkiv: island whisky review

Islands, Jura

Jura 10 YO – Origin

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is vanilla sweetness and ripe fruits. At first there’s a mix of ripe red apples and dark red berries with a honey and vanilla sweetness on top. There are floral notes floating around as well as a cinnamon note. The whole thing is very centered and it feels like there are flavours missing around the edges. The vanilla note moves forward with time and there’s a gritty complexity which kind of builds up in the background but never seems to spread out. This is a straight forward and pleasant nose, which really benefits from time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a somewhat thick layer of honey. After a few seconds the fruitiness breaks through and it’s still ripe apples and berries. The vanilla is still in there and there’s a thin smoky note floating around as well. It feels a bit narrow and it still refuses to spread out over the palate. After a while the honey and vanilla becomes a toffee note. There’s a tiny hint of tropical fruits coming through from the back but it’s very subdued and miniscule.

Finish: A fresher tropical fruitiness pushes through in the start of the transition but it’s soon covered by the honey and vanilla sweetness. It takes a couple of seconds before the sweetness start to break down and for the tropical fruitiness return. It now sits together with a very nice and nutty oakiness. It’s mainly hazelnuts but there’s a mixed nuts quality to it. The late finish is by far the best part of the journey. This is a decent whisky which suffers from being to mild and quite narrow on the palate.

Additional information
This Jura 10 YO is matured in ex-bourbon american oak barrels for the entire aging period. It’s now discontinued.

Ian Macleod Distillers, Independent bottlers, Islay, MacLeod’s (Islay)

Macleod’s Islay

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and peaty. At first there’s a medicinal and vegetable peatiness up front. When it settles there are spikes of fresh citrus fruits and a smell of cardboard. The ethanol is coming through in a not so good way and it’s lacking in depth. After a while there’s a tobacco note and a hint of vanilla coming through around the edges. It becomes a bit fruitier with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat and then it becomes honey sweet. After that it takes a second or two for the peat to arrive. It’s a warmer peatiness than on the nose with burning hay and wood. There’s vanilla and a feint scent of assorted fruits buried within. There’s still a taste of cardboard and it still lacks depth. Everything seems to sit in a single layer.

Finish: The medicinal peatiness takes over and the first part of the finish is quite nice. After a while it sort of shifts towards being savory and when the oak arrives there’s a nice complexity to it. The oak is not especially interesting and the finish isn’t very long. There is a small hint of ripe berries peeking through somewhere along the line. This is an okey whisky and it serves it purpose, giving peat lovers on a budget a decent alternative.

Additional information
This is the Islay version of the series ”Macleod’s Regional Malts” by independent bottler Ian MacLeod Distillers. The distillery and the age are not disclosed.

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Einar

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a sweet round layer of honey and vanilla surrounding a core of fresh red berries. Underneath a mild and herbaceous peatiness creates a backdrop. There’s also a fresh peach and sour lemon freshness somewhere within. Cinnamon, oak and black liquorice are all in there as well. It becomes sweeter over time. This is a good nose but it feels a bit thin and shallow with the peatiness not really connecting to the other flavours.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, but soon there’s a honey and butterscotch note arriving together with a leathery and smoky peatiness and a mild black pepper spicyness. The fruitiness is sent to the back and the liquorice and honey notes are up front. There’s a nice gritty background flavour with oak, rubber and a hint of sulfur. This creates a much needed layer of complexity. The fruitiness comes back together with vanilla notes after a while.

Finish: The black pepper returns in small sprinkles as the finish starts with an otherwise flat array of sweetness and mild peat. There are still red berries within but they are now darker. There are raisins and overripe plums peeking through. The gritty background notes return and they stay behind together with vanilla and butterscotch when the oakiness starts to build up. The oakiness is a nice mix of fresh and dry oak and it’s got a nice spicy character. There’s also a small nutty side to it. This is a very good whisky but it really lacks some power.

Additional information
The Highland Park Einar was released as a travel retail exclusive in 2011. The ppm is 20 and it’s aged in both american and european Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks. It has natural colour.

Islands, Isle of Raasay

Isle of Raasay Inaugural Release 2020 – Limited Edition

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ABV: 52 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of herbacous peat and darker red berries with a bottom note of vanilla and honey. It feels very rich and lively. The top note is very sharp and pointy. When it settles it becomes brighter with fresh berries and citrus fruits with a soft layer of mint on top. The peat falls back and moves out towards the edges. This is a nice and interesting nose which lacks some depth, but that’s not too much of a bother.

Mouth: It starts out very oaky, sharp and pointy. The peat is creating an outer layer and the core is malty and has a very beer-like quality to it. There’s a pine note as well as red berries and a weird saltiness within. There’s also a bitter side to it which comes through with time. It’s astringent and sort of attacks the palate with all the flavours at the same time. This means it becomes sort of overwhelming and not all that pleasant on the palate.

Finish: The ABV spicyness flares up and creates a nice peppery overtone. It then reverts to oak and pine together with astringent sour red berries and a hint of vanilla. It doesn’t have a sweet base anymore and the peat is slowly subsiding. The ”beery” maltiness stays in the core for a good while before the wood takes over. It still feels like a mix of pine and oak a long way down the line which isn’t all that great. This is a decent whisky with some nice flavours but it feels like it’s undecesive and all over the place. That makes it a bit hard to access.

Additional information
This is the first legal whisky from the distillery. It’s aged in ex-Tennessee whisky barrels and finished in first fill ex-Bourdeaux red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. This is bottle number 301/7500.

Islands, Jura

Jura 16 YO – Diurachs’ Own

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and honey sweetness. At first there’s a center note of dark ripe berries and sulfur surrounded by a thick honey and toffee sweetness. Everything seem to be covered in a thin hazy smoke but it’s not a peaty smokiness. The sherry fruitiness feels a bit dirty and unrefined which is a good thing and that creates depth and complexity. The whole thing turns darker with time but somewhere in the background there’s a brighter red apple and citrus fruitiness peeking through. There’s also some baking spices creating a nice and warm experience. This is a very nice nose with a lot of layers.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat with a vanilla and honey sweetness coating the mouth. After a few seconds the sherry fruitiness, now more leaning towards mixed dried fruits, and the sulfur note returns. An orange peel and coffee bitterness create a nice backdrop but the whole is not as rich and inviting as the nose suggests. There is a dry spicyness slowly arising but it falls short of being interesting or contributing to the sensations. A very thin aura of oak is slowly forming at this point, but it sort of hides within the bitterness in the back.

Finish: The orange peel and coffee bitterness quickly moves up front together with a sprinkle of cinnamon. The fresh and dried fruits make their way towards the edges and gently disappears. A small rise in sweetness occur shortly after. Then most flavours die down and leaves room for a fairly bitter oakiness. The coffee notes stay within the oak, otherwise it’s less than interesting but does the job competently. The finish isn’t very long and after a few sips it grows a bit astringent. This is a good whisky with nice flavours but it’s a but mild and muted overall. The nose is by far the best part of the journey.

Additional information
This whisky is maturated for 14 years in traditional american white oak casks and is then transferred to ex-sherry (Amoroso Oloroso) casks where it matures for at least another 2 years.

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 9 YO – Game of Thrones Limited Edition: House Lannister

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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 savory peat and honey sweetness. At first, the peat shines through with savory honey-glazed meat and ashes from a burnt out campfire. There’s a fruitiness coming through from behind. It’s a mix of green apples and ripe green grapes. There’s an overlay of vanilla which makes it feel very desserty even though the peaty flavours are present. The vanilla grows more intense as time passes in the glass. The contrast works and it feels quite balanced.

Mouth: The vanilla and the fruitiness are the first things to come through, but they are soon replaced by spicy notes and ashy peatiness. It’s less savory and sweet in taste than on the nose. It’s a little bit dry even though the oakiness is hidden behind the peat at this point. It’s a touch bitter and a touch dusty, but the main features are intact.

Finish: A dusty start goes by and then it goes back to the savory peatiness. There are vanilla, honey and black liquorice sitting in the back and the finish is not fruity at all. The oakiness is maintaining and adding to the dry mouthfeel. It’s a very nice oakiness which is intertwined with the peatiness all the way to the end. It steers towards a leathery note in the finish. This is a very good whisky and the tie-in to the GoT series was worrying, but they executed it in a good way.

Additional information
This Lagavulin 9 YO is a limited edition from the Game of Thrones whisky range. It’s been aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels.

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Drum

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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 medicinal. At first approach it’s iodine and honey sweetness with a warm woodfire burning in the background. A peppermint note sits on top of everything and a cinnamon note resides in the far distance. When it settles in the glass it grows sweeter and vanilla starta to come through. It feels quite young and the rum cask finish is not very prominent, but it adds a roundness to the whole. A small thin layer of fruitiness can be found somewhere in the middle, but it needs some hunting to be found.

Mouth: At first it’s honey sweet and spicy with a touch of vanilla and caramel. It’s not as peaty as on the nose. Soon after, it turns around and becomes quite strict and medicinal. Iodine, bitterness, ashes, oakiness and seasalt create a high impact mix. It still feels very young and it’s very rowdy and it’s kind of diappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: The peppermint comes back for a quick visit. The sweetness is now nowhere to be found. It’s salty and medicinal. It’s very bitter and there’s espresso and hazelnuts found in the oakiness. A small touch of tropical fruits do come through after the initial impact, but they are easily missed. The peatiness turns towards the ashy notes in the late finish. The nose promises a lot more than the taste can deliver, but it most definitly makes an impact.

Additional information
This limited edition Ardbeg was released for Ardbeg Day, june 1st, 2019. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-rum casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Independent bottlers, Islands, Rock Oyster

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster

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ABV: 46,8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: First thing that pops up is a savory, meaty note. Spicy and ashy, hints of lemon and lime. There’s a metallic note in the back. Quite powerful and unforgiving.

Mouth: Starts out mellow and sweet. The savory note takes over with notes of honey glazed barbecued meat. Still a little sour in the back. Spices build up after a couple of seconds. A bit underwhelming compared to the nose.

Finish: Sweet, savory and ashy. A complex array of ”funky” notes show up in the middle of the finish together with the honey and vanilla which makes it quite interresting. The oak note hides in the background and never really takes over.

Additional information
Rock Oyster is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located on the islands. Douglas Laing mentions Arran, Islay, Orkney and Jura as Islands where the components come from. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

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Independent bottlers, Islay, Six Isles

The Six Isles

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay/Islands
Type: Blended malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
No taste notes were recorded during the tasting.

Additional information
Six Isles is a vatted malt from Ian Macleod Distiller’s. It blends together six single malts from Arran, Islay, Jura, Mull, Orkney and Skye. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The specifics of the content aren’t disclosed.

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