Finlaggan Old Reserve

I’m no “expert” but I am an ex-pat Scotsman, who’s been drinking whisky, whiskey, and bourbon for many years, and have been to Islay and most of the other Western Isles more than once, so I know a little of what I speak.

Finlaggan Old Reserve is most definitely of the Islay style (strong peat smoke smell and flavor), so don’t knock it for being that; you either like Islay whiskies or you don’t. To my “unsophisticated” tastes, this is just as good as Laphroaig or Lagavulin but at less than half the price.

One large ice cube melted in it and it’s a grand drink.

Ardbeg is more complex, and better I would say, but that costs at least 3 times as much.

Finlaggan is a great bargain in an Islay Scotch.

30th November 2018

UNBELIEVABLE for the price!! I am through the roof that I found this at my local Trader Joes. I can't wrap my head around people giving this less than five stars. Hysterical that they complain that it tastes too peaty...you idiots! Do you know what a good scotch is??

18th November 2018

Overwhelming chemical/medicinal nose and flavor. I had to pour it out.

5th November 2018

Absolutely horrendous - agree with the medicinal/ TCP taste - never again

17th October 2018

I agree with those that say there's not much but smoky peat here. The malt sweetness fades quickly. I get a little bit of cinnamon spice in the aftertaste, but mostly smoke. One reviewer said this is a poor man's Lagavulin. I don't get that at all. Lagavulin has layers of flavor - malt, earthy peat, smoke, oak, salt... Finlaggan doesn't.

22nd September 2018

Rich Smokey and completed taste and after taste. I don’t understand the other descriptions.

4th September 2018

Smokey yet light. Easy on the palette and the pocket. A good 'sipper'.
Slightly thin on the finish but for the price a real bargain.

9th July 2018

Fantastische whisky! Ik ben fan! Zeker voor dit geld! Voor nog wat meer body, neem de 46%

27th June 2018

It's obvious most of the negative reviews are from folks who just dont like Islay whisky, or maybe even know how it's supposed to taste. It's peaty and smoky and if you like that and you dont want to spend 50 bucks tonight, this will work. Bit light in the body and could be more complex and bright, but it's a nice Islay taste and everything is fine.

17th June 2018

Oddly, this is the one whisky I've ever had that MUST be consumed with a bit of water or ice added. The iodine/gasoline taste is what kills this otherwise mediocre malt. Adding water brings it up to a level of ... mediocre. Will not buy again, of course.

12th June 2018

"Peaty". For my whiskey taste buds, it is pretty dank! The immediate aroma is charred peat. The taste is peat. The finish is peat. The bottle will collect dust on the shelf. Not a fan of this regional flavor that some apparently enjoy.

31st May 2018

I am a lover of peat, Laphroaig is my favorite. I saw an inexpensive Islay and took a chance. I'm not super happy with it. It's peaty, but a very tarry peat. Almost like the smokiness was added to the already distilled whiskey. It's closer to Ardbeg than to Laphroaig (but not nearly as good as Ardbeg). It tastes like all the flavors are forced. A very young whiskey trying to pass for something more mature and with more character but ends up being abrasive and heavy to drink. The "old reserve" should have been a warning.

19th May 2018

Would not buy again

28th January 2018

Smells like burnt plastic. Tastes like alcohol used to wash up lab counter

31st December 2017

Worst whisky I've ever tried.

29th December 2017

Medicinal nose, slightly peaty .........It is clearly a mix of laphroigh and Caol Ila. The secret revealed now!!!
Great value for money.

24th December 2017

Worst medical tasting whisky ever.

21st December 2017

A scotch whisky that simply doesn't know what it wants to be.

23rd November 2017

It always brings high praise in a blind tasting. I feel like I’m ‘pulling one over on the man’ when I drink Finlaggan because it’s so pleasurable and a terrific value. I think it’s made by Bowmore as Bowmore has an affiliation with the Vintage Malt Whisky Co distillery.

11th October 2017

Poor description in my opinion.
Nose: No peanut in nose.
There is old leather and wood. A bit thin. Unenduring.
Palate: initially some burn, definite peat, cream and butternut when lingering, smoldering smoke.
Finish: long, peaty, sweet, menthol.

7th October 2017

Stinks like a rotten innertube,undrinkable swill....

17th August 2017

On a recent holiday on Islay , I bought a bottle at the Islay Whiskey shop in Bowmore. It had been recommended to me by a friend who works for Majestic Wine in London. I was not disappointed!! A typical ,pale coloured with wonderful peat flavour. A real bargain for such a flavoursome malt.

12th July 2017

5 stars for the price
4 stars for the taste

Total of 4.5 stars 🙌🏽

Of course I am not sure but I think that most bottles I have had of the Finlaggan old reserve were mostly young Lagavulin...

I buy this below €25 and for that price this is a GREAT Islay whisky. Let me explain;

1). This price everybody is able to pay and in return you will get a typical Islay taste which is good and pleasant to drink, pure and unmixed.

2). At this price it competes against most what people use to mix with Coca Cola (the brown liquid sugar)

...I don't mix my whisky but many others do and I wanted to test something.

I had multiple whisky and whisky mix drinkers blind test this against others with Coca-Cola, and their reaction was as I expected: "We can taste this is mixed with a better quality, more expensive whisky"

The fact it is a pleasant Islay whisky to drink pure, at a price which allows it to be used in mix drinks for clubs and bars make this Finlaggan old reserve a Great whisky!

Ladies and Gentlemen at Finlaggan; If this went mainstream...

2nd July 2017

Finalmente ho tra le mani questo whisky segreto, un dopo cena superlativo dal sapore dolce e leggermente fumoso, con un pizzico di zenzero che non nuoce assolutamente al palato, un mistero avvolto da sapori di un whisky d'Islay. Ottimo, consigliatissimo per tutti.

27th June 2017

Since this is only the second scotch I have ever had (Balvenie 12 yr DW being the other) I don't really feel right about giving it a star rating but on a like it or not basis - I like it. It has good body, goes down smooth, and leaves a satisfying aftertaste. I have read more than one warning about working up to an Islay single malt but I am glad I stepped right in for this one. And for the price it is a bargain to me.

21st May 2017

Personally, I find the rather extreme strong flavors of Islay Single Malt to be my favorite. While they vary in intensity of flavors, most are briny, smokey, peaty and iodine rich. Bunnahabain is smoother and sweeter (more like a Highland) while Laphroig (my favorite) is crazy bracing and unique, like the flavors inspired by an Atlantic storm in winter. Finlaggin OR is in between and is my daily-ish, affordable choice. It is more like a Bowmore 10yr, but with sharp first impression and smokey minty smooth finish.

17th May 2017

fantastic value!

25th March 2017

This is a good and affordable way to try a real Islay malt whisky. It is young, but not harsh. The flavours are packed together by a softening mentol taste. There is plenty of smoke to be found, but also brine, iodine and sweetness, so you get a lot of the flavours that determine the location of the malt. Although it holds some strong flavours, I find this whisky to be quite light and soft. There is little spice, but in the finish you get a strong peppermint flavour and mountfeel that accompanies the lingering smokyness. Personally I don´t really like the peppermint flavour, and I choose the ´Original peat´ over this one. It would say that the price of this Islay whisky is just right. It is not as good as Laphroaig, or Ardbeg, but the low price justifies it´s shortcommings.

21st March 2017

A young (possible 7yrs) Lagavulin, rough around the edges, BUT you are getting an islay malt for well under £30. Oily & smokey it's fascinating to try it side by side with its 16yr old brother, and given how that has shot up in price in recent years I'd recommend Lagav.... I mean finlaggan O.R to any whisky fan.

28th January 2017

I think it's produced at Caol Ila but also reminds me of G&M's Port Ellen distilled in the early seventies. It has the same kind of oily- and smokiness of both of them. So if you can't afford some sixhundred Pounds for an original Port Ellen try Finlaggan OR. Four stars for taste (I love even young Islays) and five for the low price.

14th January 2017

Diabolical. Do not buy.

13th January 2017

It is horrible one of the worst whisky I have tasted even the aroma is bad
dont buy it

4th January 2017

Extremely good Islay Malt. Has the desirable peaty element but not overpowering. Fairly light. Some sweetness but not sickly. Lovely aftertaste. Overall reminds me of 12 year old Caol Ila, which is a malt I am fond of. And the price? A bargain! Give it a try, you won't be breaking the bank.

23rd December 2016

perfect Christmas present

27th November 2016

The distillery may be a closely guarded secret, but what cannot be hidden is the lingering Lagavulin finish!

28th April 2016

I did a blind test of Finlaggen next to Lagavulin 16, Compass Box Peat monster, Laphroaig 10, and Ardbeg 10 just to see how I really felt about it. Surprisingly though I picked the Finlaggen over the other peated Whiskies time and again. Been buying it ever since.

28th April 2016

For something which is half the price of most Islay malts this is excellent whisky. Is it Peaty? Yes. Does it give you sea saltiness? Yes. Is there a hint of sweetness there? Yes. Is it malty? Yes. Is it young? Yes? Is it a bit drying in the finish? Yes. Is it half as good as whiskies that are double the price? No. Pound for pound it punches way above its weight. I like it.

22nd April 2016

Poor whiskey, although calls itself OLD it is lacks maturity. Rough taste, headache producing.
Very misleading labeling- a cheat.

11th March 2016

Yummy yummy in my tummy

5th January 2016

Have a snifter, don't buy a bottle.

2nd January 2016

Ok so it's not as good as laga 16 or ardbeg uigaedail or laphraoig triple wood but it is damn close and for $18 u.s. I'll just buy this and save my money from now on this is waaaayyy too good for how cheap it is thats why it gets a 10/10 rating I'm not even gonna say where i got it this cheap because I don't want it all getting bought up definitely going back and getting more tomorrow. The Sugarbear

30th December 2015

Scotch for me means peat and complex undertones of citrus and caramel with hints of sea air. This whiskey has it all yet is affordable. Get it when you can.

16th December 2015

This is hands down the best peated single malt available for the money in the US. If you were a Bowmore Legend fan you will not be disappointed.

30th November 2015

When I recently visited Lagavulin, an old-timer working there mentioned that an attempt had been made at their larger sister distillery Caol Ila to recreate Lagavulin, but it didn`t quite turn out the same due to the different stills or whatever other factors. The small differences are amplified as whiskey matures.
It would make sense that this is that imitation Lagavulin with 25-30 ppm phenol, distilled at Caol Ila, then matured 10 years in bourbon barrels. Caol Ila is by far the largest Islay Distillery and sells the most product to 3rd parties

28th November 2015

romig en een goede turfsmaak. En dat voor onder de 30 euro!!

10th September 2015

I usually love Lagavulin, Caol Ila and Laprohaig most, but this would get the mark "best buy" considering the price

6th March 2015

I was recemtly fortunate to receive a bottle of Finlaggan cask sttength. As with all drinks (& all things that one judges on the basis of flavour for that matter) beauty is very much in the taste buds of the beholder. I consider Finlaggan to be a first class malt: it has a peaty flavour, but it's smooth and soft in the mouth. It's cheap too! What is there not to like?!

18th January 2015

This is splendid whisky for peated a smoked whisky lovers. And its price is also great. I love it!

26th December 2014

As others have said, this is a Lagavulin clone. At this price point, I think it is a bargain. Obviously, not everyone will like the intense smoky flavor but that doesn't mean it is bad Scotch. I would not hesitate to have it among my selection of Scotches.

19th November 2014

So similar, in so many different ways, that i would not be at all surprised that this came out the back door of the Lagavulin distillery at 10 years of age and was rebadged as Finlaggan Old Reserve, which tellingly fails to tell us just how old it is........

22nd September 2014

If you are a peat lover this is an amazing scotch for the price. you wont find any other islay single malt for this price and its not bad. for all the negative reviews out there, Im assuming that those people are not a fan of the heavily peated scotches such as laguavulin, Talisker, Laphoriag, Bowmore or Ardbeg. for under $20 bucks a bottle this beats all other competitors at it's price point.

14th June 2014

Worst crap I ever bought at Trader Joes. This tasted like someone threw 4 pounds of pete moss into a bottle. I tried another glass and poured the whole $30 worth with tax down the drain. Do not buy it! Crap! Crap! Crap! They should be ashamed. I love scotch and different varaieties take time to learn to enjoy vs some others, but usually likable after a few tastes or glass fulls. This stuff is absolute dirt moss. I poured the rest of the bottle down the drain.

Herb Salisbury

7th June 2014

even at $20, this whisky is a ripoff. i love the peatiness of it, but it isn't a good tasting spirit at all. in other words, you get peat and pretty much nothing else. just not worth the money. save your money and spend about $20 more for laphroaig 10. you've been warned...

9th May 2014

After i poured it in my glass, i thought there's a house on fire in my nearness. Then i drunk it, big surprise. Real nice Whiskey. The flavour rested in my mouth as if i was standing in that, just burned of house. Really spooky.

6th April 2014

Has the sea salt and smoke that makes Islay products famous. Not match to Ardberg and such, but if you're looking for affordable Islay, this is your choice.

25th July 2013

Have been drinking Finlaggan for a few years now - along with others - it always delights the willing tastbuds,almost like a more delicate Laphroaig.

2nd January 2012

Finlaggan is one of the best whiskys ive tasted. Its strong peaty taste is wonderfull to say the least . buy it you wont be dissapointed.

15th February 2011