One Friday night I was craving the thrill of gustatory exploration, but did not want to have the quantity of alcohol associated with a full comparative whisky tasting. So I blindly took one sample from the increasing pile of forgotten minibottles. It turned out (as I revealed to myself after the tasting) to be Bowmore. Following on that theme the next night but with a full tasting, I dug into some Laphroaig and Bowmore/Laphroaig blend sample that had been lying about for a bit too long. The results:
“Sea Shepherd” | NAS | 46% | Signatory Vintage
🌐
Scotch blended malt (teaspooned single malt)
🪵
Oloroso & PX Sherry Hogshead Finish
🔆
unchillfiltered & natural color
💲
€75
pour from 5cl sample bottle blind tasting
⚡Experience
Earthy and peaty aromas, mixed with citrus and stone fruit. There’s pebble, salty sea breeze, yeasty and sour winey notes, herbs and pine wood.
Very spicy on the palate; boozy and almost raw. Tempers somewhat with water. Incredibly dry. Vegetal peat at the fore flavourwise, also damp earth, tobacco, and banana chip, vanilla.
The finish leaves a pleasant bourbon and tobacco.
💡Thoughts
Before reveal:
I really like the style and intensity of peat here. It more peaty than smoky in character. Unfortunately, the rawness is too much. It almost reminds me of that time I steeped tobacco leaf in a whisky! So what could it be? I don’t remember what heavily peated stuff I have lying around except for Port Askaig 17, and that I’d expect to be a lot mellower. Alcohol feels like 50% with the spiciness, but I think it’s a 43% or 46%. Cask mainly bourbon, no exotic finish. Islay, duh. Young.
After reveal:
Ah – It’s the “Into the Bleak”. I though that’s probably it, but then I convinced myself that this sample was still parked at the Simple Sample online shop. So it’s supposedly a teaspooned Bowmore. The sherry finish isn’t very strong here, but that’s no shame.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Verdict
🔴🟡⚫
⚫🟡⚫
🔴🟡⚫
Unremarkable
“Cult of Islay – Mission Gold” | 33yo (1989) | 41.5% | Murray McDavid
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Blended Scotch whisky
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Bourbon Cask, Premier Cru Wine Finish, Sherry
🔆
unchillfiltered & natural color
💲
€300
2cl sample bottle
⚡Experience
Subtle and complex, with main themes of wood (varnished wood, oak) coastal and medicinal / herbal notes (iodine, seaweed, mustard, bitter herbs, white pepper), mellow fruits (papaya, mandarin, melon) and musky / funky notes (leather, aged cheese, tobacco, mild sulphur). A hint of the cardboard-like off note of small bottle effect.
Light texture, with some bitterness, neither very sweet nor dry, a little briney. Flavour themes reflect the nose, but with less complexity. There are stone fruits, a rather earthy peat, some leather and tobacco.
A medium-long juicy finish.
💡Thoughts
There is definitely a bit of sample bottle defect here, sadly: 2cl bottle and 41% abv and it’s been sitting for a bit too long. Still, a quite nice and really interesting dram. A profile not to easily come by, so for the person who’s really into old Islays (and tolerate a little lowland grain in the mix) it would perhaps be a good price at closer to €200. It’s a blend of Bowmore. Laphroaig, Cameronbridge, and North British.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Verdict
⚫🟡⚫
⚫🟡🟢
🔴🟡⚫
Nice to try
“Unnamed Islay” (Laphroaig) | 28yo (1992) | 51.7% | Signatory Vintage
2cl sample bottle
⚡Experience
The main impression is freshness: from fruits (loads of green apple, pear, yellow stone fruits), minerality (crispy white wine, sea spray); countered by woodsy notes (oak, tree resin, toastiness, vanilla) and light smoke (smoked ham). A hint of lavender, tiger balm and iodine. Overall an “old oak juice” kind of nose.
Palate is mouth-coating, intense, and savoury. Concentrated dried tropical fruits, hard cheese, and a dollop of peat; more subtle tobacco in the development. Juicy oak.
Satisfying finish.
💡Thoughts
Wow, so with 90.64 at 75 votes, this is one of the highest-rated drams I’ve had probably, with many claims that it’s Laphroaig (good thing I read this only after writing the review). It is a great one indeed, with many of the aspects I really enjoy in “old oak juice” from Speyside and Lowlands, but with a favourable touch of peat and funk. Not very complex, or surprising, just solidly enjoyable. €200 would be fully reasonable for the experience. But at over double that, it’s just a no go for anyone but the most religious (or wealthy) fan of the style.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Verdict
⚫⚫🟢
⚫🟡🟢
🔴⚫⚫
Hits the spot! ❤️
“Malts of Islay – Trilogy II” | 34yo (1988) | 52.1% | Murray McDavid
🌐
Scotch blended malt
🪵
refill bourbon hogshead + cognac finish
🔆
unchillfiltered & natural color
💲
€400
2cl sample bottle
⚡Experience
Nuts and dried fruits (walnuts, golden sultanas), baked goods (brioche bread, apple cake with cinnamon) and smokiness and funk (burning wood, smoked bacon, grilled fish, glue). A floral theme develops with time (violets) and a more exotic streak of kaffir lime and perhaps incense sticks. And, yes, I believe the cognac finish is discernible, but would not have guessed it blindly.
A very briney palate, bringing pickles, salted nut and dried fruit mix, particularly mango, and, after some seconds, rich and fruit tobacco. Very chewey, with woody and resinous feel. Consistent finish.
💡Thoughts
Hint of small bottle effect here, but covered to a degree by the intensity of the dram. It’s a multi-faceted dram, tasty indeed, that (beside the small bottle effect) has no particular flaw, but somehow doesn’t congeal into an awe-inspiring vision.
According to the backside label, distillates from Bowmore and Laphroaig were married in refill bourbon for over 30 years. Then a three year finish in cognac cask. I wonder why that was deemed necessary?
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
Verdict
⚫🟡🟢
⚫🟡🟢
🔴⚫⚫
Nice to try
Cover image credit: islay.org
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