Isle of Islay

Laphroaig has fashioned this whisky using malt from a number of different types of cask, including Oloroso Sherry butts, white American oak, Pedro Ximenez seasoned hoggies, Quarter casks and first fill bourbon casks. 

This does sport the hallmark medicinal Laphroaig qualities we all love so much but it's not packing a massive peat punch and so is a great entry whisky to the joys of Islay for someone just starting the Islay journey.

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In just a fraction of a second, this bottling takes us to Laphroaig to breathe in the particularly invigorating salty sea air. Next, acting as a link between the peat and the other ingredients of the aroma and flavour palette, incredibly smooth dark chocolate brings us irresistibly towards the malting floors filled with the utterly divine fragrances of germinating barley.

Nose: clean, complex. On the first nose, traces of rubber, intense smoke and gentian root dig furrows into an anthracite-coloured peat. Allowed to breathe, this peat becomes more oily and medicinal (band-aid, merbromin), salty and even hot (cayenne). Gradually, the gamy character takes over (smoked fish and bacon). At the same time, the aromatic palette is undeniably jaunty, spring-like and bright.

Palate: powerful, lively. On the attack, blocks of chocolatey peat roll across the palate. Immediately after, iodine tincture and mustard seed bring lots of vitality. The mid-palate is a subtle mixture of herbaceous (hay, malted barley), fruity (pear, Golden Delicious) and vanilla sequences. At the end of the palate, a subtle liqueur of acacia honey and roasted pineapple unctuously floods the entire palette of flavours.

Finish: long, generous. In archetypal Laphroaig style, the start of the finish is peaty/chocolatey, fruity, iodine and phenolic (hydrocarbon, sleet). Rooted in its terroir (gentian, ginger), in a mineral-rich soil. A handful of dried fruits (almond, walnut) and citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit) dominate the very dynamic end of the palate. On the retro-nasal olfaction, coconut milk, ash and aromatic plants (sage, verbena) stand out for their intensity. The empty glass is vegetal (Havana cigar) and chocolatey.

Bowmore Legend is matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, enhancing the fruitiness, mellow peat, maritime saltiness and honey of Bowmore, while adding an extra layer of deliciously sweet vanilla and gentle spice. A fine introduction to this legendary Islay distillery.

Ardbeg Grooves was released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2018, and as ever, the Islay-based distillers have created a most intriguing expression. Part of the whisky that makes up Grooves was matured in red wine casks that were very well-charred, resulting in heavy grooves in the surface of the wood. A mellow though flavoursome dram.

Nose: A thick, spiced aroma of iodine, seaweed and golden syrup leads among a herbal note of lavender. An earthy funk from damp bonfire wood, old oak and dried grass is complemented by lighter touches of butterscotch, stone fruits and a little marzipan icing.

Palate: Vanilla fudge, toffee popcorn and tarred orchard fruits rise through a big, salty opening. Savoury BBQ notes of cured Italian meats are percolated by paprika, green chilli and scorched herbs. Antique leather and damp oak form an interesting backdrop.

Finish: Seaside bonfire and smoked salts percolate through a mellow sweetness.

The yearly Diageo Special Releases always pack some surprises and it's fair to say an unpeated Caol Ila is probably one of them. This single malt Scotch promotes the distillery's lesser-known side as a sherry-forward Caol Ila that swaps smoke for elegant sweetness. It was matured for 15 years in refill and rejuvenated American-oak hogsheads and ex-bodega European oak butts before it was bottled at a cask strength 59.1% ABV.

Nose: Opens with marmalade-laden buttery toast, milk chocolate and fresh orange notes, before red cherry, strawberry and raisin comes through. Lashes of vanilla and a suggestion of spearmint, too.

Palate: Leads with more of that creamy chocolate, fruity yoghurt and honey. Peach is in there too, and in with all the oiliness is a pine-like quality.

Finish: Yoghurt-covered almonds with some liquorice and, yes, some distant smoke.

Overall: It's an viscous drop that packs a creamy-fruity punch.

With age comes more character, an incredibly balanced dram. This mature blend has complex spice, gentle peat and tobacco-like notes perfectly balanced with dried fruits and nutty undertones.

Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 23 Years Old is the first in a series of highly collectible limited releases. Each Y2K vintage will be a one-off whisky creation, with a different age, maturation cask and ABV. The unique characteristic of each vintage will be revealed with each release, alongside a new, never-before-shared ?secret? about Ardbeg from the year 2000.

A COMBINATION OF OLD AND NEW
With the renovation of the Ardbeg Distillery underway, the whisky creation team used their magic on this serendipitous rare stock. Combining old and new, it merges modern, innovative whisky techniques, while still using the old Ardbeg stills.

A TASTE OF THE FUTURE
Distilled during a time of revival and regeneration for Ardbeg, Vintage_Y Y2K 23 Years Old perfectly encapsulates the optimism and excitement surrounding Ardbeg in that momentous year.

This rare millennium spirit is characterised by bright, zesty notes, intensely sweet and sooty flavours and a vibrant effervescence.

COLOUR Pale amber

AROMA - Herbal and sweet, with a subtle perfumed smokiness. A zesty note
like lemon balsam emerges, with a hint of linseed oil and candied walnuts. With water the fragrance intensifies, emitting heather honey, a touch of creosote and a tiny trace of tent canvas.

TASTE - The texture is fizzy ( with a vibrant effervescence on the tongue. At first the flavour is intensely sweet, then shifts as aniseed, toffee, digestive biscuits, peppermint, menthol, tar and coffee grits burst through.

FINISH
The sooty flavours keep building, until they finally dissolve into
a long, lingering aftertaste of antiseptic lozenges, bitter oranges
and oak tanninstannins.

All Octomore .1 editions are distilled from 100% Scottish barley. They are primarily aged  only in ex-American oak, in varying percentages of either ex-bourbon or ex-Tennessee  whiskey casks. The .1?s are the backbone of each new series as they demonstrate the raw  character of the clean Octomore spirit, balanced with the modest ex-American whiskey  influence. 

13.1 distillery notes: Distilled in 2016 from the 2015 harvest of 100% Scottish grown Concerto barley Malted to 137.3 PPM Full term maturation in first fill bourbon barrels Matured entirely on Islay for five years Bottled at 59.2% Bottled unchill-filtered and colouring free at Bruichladdich Distillery Key tasting notes: rich toffee, coconut and vanilla

Gentle, Floral and Untainted

Annual Release of an Aged Limited Edition.

In 2023 Port Askaig releases a 17 year old matured in traditional American oak casks, chosen for its quality and age, blended and bottled at 50.5% to capture the best taste experience. Approximately 9000 bottles will be available each year. Aged Islay whiskies are sought after for their taste, maturity, and limited nature.

TASTING NOTES

The nose offers a charcuterie board with melon, ham, and grapes, intertwined with bonfire smoke and citrus zest. On the palate, dense smoke and minerality unite raspberry leaf and chocolate, culminating in red fruits and a hint of medicinal smoke with a herbaceous finish.

NON CHILL?FILTERED | NO ADDED COLOURING

As the very limited mature stocks of whisky on Islay dwindle, we see fewer and fewer expressions of old whisky from the Island, which makes this 28 year old from Port Askaig that more special. Filled from a small number of refill ex-bourbon casks, the smoke and peat flavours are tamed and mellowed by time. It is both sweet with soft white fruit like lychee, and nutty with almond flakes. The peat offers a gentle medicinal smokiness, and on the palate there is an abundance of mouth-filling oils, carrying smoky, salty cured meats and contrasting citrus peel. A lengthy dry sweet & smoky finish carries a herbal tone and the unmistakable character of the Isle of Islay.

The flavour of Islay untamed

No more than 60 casks will make up each batch. Each cask is selected for the notes it will bring to the whisky. Each batch will have a unique code and shows the cask breakdown which enables the recipient, each year, to contrast, compare and explore the different notes that the wood and blending brings to this Islay Scotch Whisky. #01-2023 uses the cask selection to create layers of sweetness, zest intertwined with the classic smoke of Islay.

TASTING NOTES

Bursts of zesty citrus and black pepper, evolving to toasted bread, marmalade, and smoke. On the palate, it?s fresh with salt, lime, and spices, while the finish lingers with spice, smoke, and toffee-like richness.

NON CHILL?FILTERED | NO ADDED COLOURING

Released in 2016, this is a small batch release of Finlaggan which is finished in sherry casks and bottled at 46% vol, for a ripe smoky flavour.

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: rich peat smoke, and big ripe fruits. Old leather and a hint of tobacco.

Palate: Thick chewy peat and rich fruity notes. make and sea salt. Oranges and dried fruits.

Finish: Long and warming. More smoke and fruit.