Single Malt
Scotland
Highlands and Islands Whisky Company
Yes
A great Islay single malt from an unnamed distillery. The Ileach always scores well with the critics, this cask strength edition was awarded a mindblowingly high 97 points by Jim Murray in his 2010 Whisky Bible.
Wow... Simply divine and Jim Murray said it as contender for whisky of the year!! Please don't add water... Sip, savour and relish the beauty. Rich Cornish fudge flavours with almost silky smoke and a lovely languid finish
I asked some relatives, who were travelling to Skye, to get me a bottle of this as i heard about it. I was not disappointed. Dry and smoky with an initial smell of old wood and leather and then after taste that always leaves me wanting some salty snacks. As it's call strength I do add a few drops of water to soften it. A great addition to my cupboard.
You can argue, but there is not many Islay malts carrying this massive orange oil notes! Plus the peat is Laphroaig, unmistakably.
I don't know where to start, a very unusual start, it has connotations of chocolate yet it reminds me of loch fyne in tarbert Argyllshire, it has that strong peaty undertone scent that you get whilst fishing on the loch, where it catches your throat in a very pleasant way, once it starts going down its like an explosion of tastes that I cannot describe , I almost tasted cinnamon but the joy of hitting my stomach was like manna from heaven, it has a very similar backing to aberlour but richer and tastier, a drink that should never be threatened with water, straight down and hold your breath and count to five then enjoy the explosions of WOW.
Must give thanks to Robertsons of Petlochry who took me through several tastings of Islay Malts to discover this. I do enjoy Ardbeg 10 Year Old with a drop of water. Now this Ileach I found outstanding, still young but delicious. discoved undertones and complexity to it. Being Cast Strength it does have way too much punch neat for me, required softening carefully with drops of water to calm it down. (Raw, overwhelmed, closing the palate down instantly otherwise.) But transformed, opened up, still with good weight and strength. Rich colouring with strong legs in the glass. Nose - Oak, peat, nutty, raisins, dark fruits, earthy/minerals. So enjoyable. Palate - Impressive strike still, even after added water. On the palate this whisky has 3 distinct stages - a start - middle and end. Peat, smoke, black licorice, seaweed at first with developing notes of brown sugar, peppery, tar, burned toffee, leather, peat and seaweed still there in the background some chocolate coming through on a long sweet smoky finish. Complexed and so enjoyable. A sip gives a couple of minutes of pure delight. I have no idea if this brands whisky varies in taste year to year, all I can say is the 2016 batch is spot on for me and a bargain at its price point.
