Smokehead is a superb, cult single malt from Ian MacLeod. Just a massive, thick peat smoke rich dram. Plenty of great south Islay character.
Smoke! Lapsang souchong. Cool wood smoke. Thick and full.
Big, puckering peat. Smoky, fruity sweetness, touch of sherry, sultana. Herbal.
Herbal, tangy fruits and more peat smoke!
single malt scotch and more importantly , islay single malt is a luxury item . when you buy this luxury item, you get what you pay for . is smokehead amazing ? well that is completely dependent on what you compare it to . for 34$ it's pretty great , is it a ten yr brander, or a 12 yr solid , of course not . it is a young and fun inexpensive super peaty islay. I support any authentic islay , and smokehead is a budget friendly , young islay.
I left a review of this scotch earlier that I want to correct. I spent some time sipping on the scotch and I gradually fell in love with it. It reminds me of a Bowmore/Ardbeg mix. It is very easy to drink and has a great fruity sweetness combined with a punch of smoke. It has moved into my top 5 scotches that are $60 and under. Do not buy this scotch if you don't like Islay scotchs. If you don't like Ardbeg or Laphroaig then don't bother buying this heavyhitter...stay home and sip on your Dewars.
I love my peaty/smoky scotchs..I have Ardbeg 10, Lagavullin 12 (2012), Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig 10, Laphroaig Triple wood, Longrow, Bowmore, Ardmore, and many others...but Smokehead is nowhere near the flavor as these. Smokehead has a sherry flavor that I wasn't anticipating. It has an ok nose and a you can tell it's a young Islay (I am guessing a 7 year). I will keep the bottle because it looks nice, but won't be buying another anytime soon.
I was very excited to try this scotch. I read many reviews and I wanted to add another Islay to my collection. The nose on this scotch is not good at all. I was shocked how simple but yet rough this scotch was. This is not even in the same level as Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavullin, etc. I have read that this is a 7 year old Arbeg from several different websites. Overall this was very disappointing. Was a major letdown. I know this was a young scotch when I bought it, but I found out the hard way that "young" is not a desirable scotch characteristic.
Absolutely horrid!
