Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 43%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: Yes
Added coloring: Yes
Owner: Diageo
Average price: € 46.00
Official website: www.malts.com
Vote: 90/100
It’s perhaps one of the best known whiskies among those who are more than occasional drinkers, and having also been the first of the whiskies I tried, it could only be the bottle that inaugurates this blog.
Its fame is also due to its easy availability (you can find it in almost every supermarket, not only in the big chains) and at a more than affordable price.
Tasting notes
Poured into the glass, its oiliness is already evident from the waves it leaves on the glass, which together with its dark colour (thanks to the caramel colouring, which the distilleries swear on their mother’s lips is completely tasteless) can only make it very inviting.
Left to aerate for the necessary time (43 degrees certainly does not require much evaporation, let alone the addition of water), the nose is caressed by the aroma of peat, very intense and spicy, combined with marine notes and a certain sweetness in the background. Even an untrained nose can grasp its elegance, which for a mass-produced product is a small miracle, making it pleasant to linger over the aromas to grasp their evolution, trying to perceive every little nuance.
The palate fully follows the scents of the distillate: smokiness and peat go hand in hand with marine notes, followed by sweetness and a few notes of wood and leather. It almost seems to have a consistency, the oiliness seen in the glass seems to be perceptible in the mouth as well.
And these flavours remain in the mouth for a long time, leaving a persistent and very pleasant salty peat.
Obviously, there is nothing I can add to one of the most-reviewed whiskies of all time, except that it’s perfect for starting out on an approach to this distillate, when you are trying to understand which notes best suit your tastes: if this whisky will satisfy you, then peat (and marine spirits) are for you!
Other perspectives:
Scotch Noob