My initial exposure to this distillery was pretty early in my relationship with proper whisky. I liked Laphroaig and Caol Ila, and my research showed that Island distilleries often had a character similar to that of Islay in that the malt is often peated. I found it a bit powerful at first, but not off-putting. I came to like it quite a lot, and have finally gotten around to a proper analysis as I go through bottles of the core, entry level offerings from the Islay and Island distilleries I am interested in to familiarize myself with the general profile they offer before delving into the higher age statements and special bottlings.
Minutia: Aged in ex-bourbon casks. Neat in a glencairn.
Color: Gold.
Nose: Smoke, sea, salt, malt fruit.
Taste: Peppery peat, almost overwhelming.
Finish: Long, intense, smoky, malt persists.
While a lot of Islays, to me, feel like peaty whisky, this is more like peat and whisky. I enjoy both of those characters, so it’s nice that there is some difference. This bottle is smoke and malt all over the place. In my notes I described this as less but somehow also more intense than Laphroaig in its flavor. This can be a bit pricier than some other similar expressions, but once I’ve finished my experimental journey through Islay and the Islands, this will still be a bottle I plan to keep on hand.
Score: 91
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