A 10 year old variation of Hunter Laing's Scarabus single malt Scotch whisky! Produced by an undisclosed distillery on the legendary isle of Islay, this expression is aged in a combo of refill, ex-bourbon and virgin oak casks, and bottled up after a decade of maturation. Smoky, flavoursome stuff, with a good helping of oaky influence too.
Softly smoky, with hints of new leather and toasted brioche developing along the way.
Golden syrup, vanilla, and a slow rumble of peaty smoke and crushed peppercorns.
Sweet peat and some floral freshness.
A very nice whisky sampled neat and a good introductory option for first time forays into Islay drams. Light peat and smoke. Some sweet, pitted fruits. Carmel. Honey. Definitely NOT a heavy, viscous, jowl-smacking Islay you would savor over the course of a half hour - but pleasant nonetheless and at a very good price compared to most Islay bottles.
Nose: burnt tyre. Palate: full peat overwhelming any other notes, lightly salted. Finish: numbed mouth, creosote, tar.
I really like this whisky. The age comes through and the cask influence is desirable. Definitely Islay. I would definitely repurchase.
