Advent 2021 #15 - Elements of Islay Peat (Full Proof)

A cask strength release of their standard blend, Peat. Based on the quality of releases from Elements of Islay, I can’t imagine this goes wrong, but I’m also not expecting anything amazing. However, the website talks of batches and I’ve only seen this specific ABV, so unless they blend to that specifically, it may not be a proper “cask strength” but occasionally diluted ever so slightly to keep the same SKU.

Elements of Islay Peat (Full Proof), Islay Blended Malt, 59.3% ABV

Minutia: A blend of roughly 60 casks from all over Islay. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Pale straw; 0.2.

Nose: Smoke, shells/beachy, ashy, slightly musty. Toffee.

Taste: Heat, vegetal, salty.

Finish: Vegetal. Medium-long.

Guess: IB Caol Ila

I feel like that’s almost correct, as Caol Ila is likely a player in this (if not a big one) just given their volume. It certainly delivered on peat, and I feel like it did touch on a lot of Islay’s different strengths – smoke, salt, general maritime quality, with some sweet bits. This is relatively low cost, and I think it’s a great budget option for a peat lover.

Score: 83

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

Advent 2021 #14 - Caol Ila 11 2003 The Ultimate

Mostly just another ‘make the shipping more palatable’ purchase. A somewhat curious release at 46%, though, particularly for a single cask.

Caol Ila 11, 2003 Vintage, The Ultimate, Islay Single Malt, 46% ABV

Minutia: Distilled on September 10, 2003 and matured in cask #302456, a hogshead, for 11 years and bottled on March 19, 2015 yielding 344 bottles. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Pale gold; 0.3.

Nose: Very little. A lot of work and coaxing finds some citric notes behind ethanol.

Taste: Spice. Some sweetness. Vanilla. Pineapple.

Finish: Musty, smoke, toasty. Medium-long.

Guess: Johnnie Walker Island Green

A very disappointing nose. It’s ok, otherwise, but that really hurt it. The pineapple on the palate was delightful, I just wish it had something to get me excited before taking a sip.

Score: 78

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

Advent 2021 #13 - Port Askaig 28

This is one I was happy to see available when ordering. It’s not often you get to try a well aged Islay without too much of a premium on the price. Happy it came up it this year’s calendar.

Port Askaig 28, Islay Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Matured for 28 years in refill American oak hogsheads and bottled in 2019. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Deep gold; 0.8.

Nose: Green, light smoke. Citric. Toasted, aniseed.

Taste: Custard, vanilla, wood, spices.

Finish: Large smoke and earth up front, quick fade into a metallic woody note. Medium.

Guess: IB Port Charlotte, maybe Kilchoman.

That surge in the finish really reminded me of Octomore, so I figured it might be a lower proof Port Charlotte. Somewhat surprising, and welcome, for it to be there after 28 years. The finish helped it get there, though, and I think this would have benefitted from being cask strength. At something this age, it just feels silly to dilute it.

Score: 84

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

Advent 2021 #12 - Port Askaig 12 Autumn Edition

Another sample picked up kind of just because, to ease shipping and also to try as many Islays as I can.

Port Askaig 12 Autumn Edition, Islay Single Malt, 45.8% ABV

Minutia: Matured for 12 years in refill bourbon hogsheads and Sherry butts and bottled in 2020. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Deep gold; 0.8.

Nose: Slight smoke, ash, red fruit, sea, shells.

Taste: Smoke, metallic, brief bubblegum, cork.

Finish: Much of the same, with a bit of a smoky surge at times. Medium-short.

Guess: Bowmore or Caol Ila.

Kinda got it since most of these are sourced from Caol Ila. It’s ok, but being a little more “put together” would really take it home.

Score: 81

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar:

Advent 2021 #11 - Bruichladdich The Organic 2010

No preamble here. To the notes!

Bruichladdich The Organic 2010, Islay Single Malt, 50% ABV

Minutia: Distilled in 2010 from organically grown barley harvested at Mid Coul farms in 2009. Matured in ex-bourbon casks for 8 years. Reviewed blind, neat in an opaque glencairn.

Color: Jonquil, ripe corn; 0.4.

Nose: Floral, like a cosmetic shop, fresh fruit (kiwi is most strongly suggested here), a bit malty.

Taste: Malt, fruit, honey, some heat.

Finish: About the same, no heat from the alcohol, though. Medium.

Guess: Caol Ila Unpeated, maybe a Bunnahabhain. Bruichladdich wouldn’t surprise me.

This makes sense. While it didn’t scream “Bruichladdich” it felt a bit less than cask strength which I believe is how unpeated Caol Ila is bottled. Bunnahabhain was purely a backup guess as it didn’t feel nearly as heavy as any Bunnahabhain I’ve ever had, without some trademarks I associate with the lighter but well aged casks I’ve had. Anyway, a nice dram as far as unpeated goes for me. A bit one-dimensional, but still nice.

Score: 82

Musical Evocation: Sting – “Fields of Gold”

Here are links to the other posts from this calendar: