Tastes

I first bought a couple bottles produced in 2019 and was very impressed with this budget Irish blend. The sherry casks really delivered a fine whiskey. The bottles had the cork covered with black wax... Fast forward a few months and I was back at the same retailer buying a restyled bottle (produced in May 2020) without the wax on the cork. The owner assured me it's the same whiskey, but it's clearly something very different and basically undrinkable. I imagine this is something that will go down hard even with a coke, although I couldn't force myself to actually try. I thought I might have gotten unlucky with a bottle, but a second one bought by a friend at another store proved to contain the exact same vile liquid... Stay away from this so-called whiskey unless you can find a good old bottle with the wax on top!

Caol Ila on a budget! Nose: Overwhelmingly, yet surprisingly smoothly smoky and peaty. Some citrus and medicinal notes break through next, followed by a light hint of menthol. Quite mellow for only 5 years at 46 ABV. Taste: Heavy smoke, peat and brine. Plenty of seaweed and medicinal notes in here, which is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to Islay. Citrus and menthol are there too for a refreshing change of notes. Somehow this is all surprisingly smooth for its young age and ABV. Adding a splash of water seems to be the right choice here though, as it makes the dram feel all the more balanced. Finish: Fairly long and just right for a young peated malt like this. Smoke, peat and brine whirl into citrus and menthol right at the end. Brine lingers for a while. Final thoughts: I really couldn't find a better option to get into Caol Ila on a budget than this whisky. It pretty much ticks all the boxes when it comes to Islay. I just wish this release was more readily available, as it's really not that easy to get hold of. I might have to hold on to my last bottle for a while.

Better than I expected from Grant's. Nose: Charred smoke, Highland peat, plus the classic grainy profile of the base Triple Wood. I actually didn't enjoy that base one at all, but this Smoky edition does have some interesting character to it. Taste: Smoke to Highland peat, then a fair share of grainy notes that surprisingly taste better than the base edition. I'm very tempted to say I actually like this blend. Finish: Smoke and peat closes out the dram with a moderate finish for its class. Final thoughts: I tried this after Teacher's and I can firmly say this is a bit of an upgrade, if you're looking for a peated blend. The peat here is very light and mellow, but nicely weaved into the classic Grant's profile, which usually has nothing interesting to offer. I would consider buying this again for mixing.

Excellent value peated blend. Nose: Smoke, grain and peated Highland malt. Not much else there unless you've got a great imagination. At least it's not too grainy, which is great for such a budget. Taste: Peated malt wrestles with young grain to convince you this is a quality blend. It's a fair contest and the result is quite positive. I have nothing bad to say about this palette, especially at this price. Finish: Expectedly short, peaty, dry and bitter, probably from charred barrels. Once again, a fair finish for its class. Final thoughts: if you're looking to get into peat on a budget then there's not much choice out there. This whisky is indeed a fair choice, but don't expect any miracles from it. It showcases only the classic Highland peated malt, so for those looking to get acquainted with Islands or Islay, look elsewhere and be prepared to shell out a bit more resources for a significantly more interesting experience.

Tasted a 2019 bottling. Nose: Mellow and yet moderately rich at the same time. Freshly cut apple and pear, classic toffee, vanilla, malty, no grain at all. It's also a bit funky, like perfume. Very inviting for a blend. Taste: Smooth and mellow here too. Very malty. It's young but at least 5 years old for sure. Apple, pear and toffee dominate this very malty palette with an unmistakable bourbon cask profile. No grain stands out here either. Finish: This is where it falls short, because the finish is barely there at all. At this point I can reliably say this is a great blend that's sadly been watered down way too hard. Final thoughts: I'm aware this is 60% single malt and 40% pot still, so it's not your classic Irish blend. It's much closer to a single malt than most drams at this price point. Would have been more interesting at higher ABV, but it's still very decent and recommended regardless.

Nose: High grain and ethanol, followed by classic toffee and caramel, plus distinct notes of tropical fruits and brown sugar. The rum cask is immediately evident, but the increased ABV is there to spoil the fun. Taste: Ethanol hits hard. This whiskey is way more grainy than I'd like. The extra ABV was definitely a bad idea. Watering this down to 40 manages to salvage the dram, liberating the malt and rum cask finish. Toffee, tropical fruits and brown sugar are nicely blended here. Finish: Long and hot. I can feel this going down all the way through my chest. It's not a terrible feeling though. There's something empowering about going through an experience like that. Final thoughts: I have to admit that slapping the XO stamp on this bottle was a really cheeky move. Don't be fooled. It tastes like 3 years plus a few months in rum casks for good measure. Not a terrible whiskey, but definitely not one I would ever buy again. Watering it down is essential, unless you want to simply cool it down or just mix it with whatever floats. I'm inescapably tempted to compare this to Dewar's 8 Caribbean Smooth, which is definitely a better release overall.