Tastes

Get beyond the plasters, TCP and peat and this is a sensational introduction to peated whisky with notes of vanilla, hints of oak and a lingering hint of salty seaweed. Its fantastic whisky and, whilst a Lagavulin 16 has more refinement and prestige, bang for buck Laphroig 10 is hard to beat.

Classic Islay iodine and salty sea notes on the nose give way to tonnes of oak and sweet nuttiness on the palate. An exceptional malt.

A very approachable and light whisky with a golden straw colour and grassy, piney notes on the nose. The palate opens to vanilla ice cream - there’s a fatty quality - before some spearmint cuts through.

A generous dram gifted to me at the end of a bottle. Dark fruit and treacle cake on the nose, with definite sherry notes. The smoke is sweet and not at all acrid. Gentle fruit grows with orange, dates, then marmalade and forest fruits. Remarkably smooth. The smoke wisps at the back of the tongue, embers lingering like yesterday’s campfire. Still sweet but with some of that characteristic Islay plasters and TCP.

A fruity, juicy marmalade bomb. The sherry cask gives this plenty of sweetness.

A wonderfully light and sweet juniper smoke. Delicious whisky.

Very peculiar. Definitely sheepy on approach - it smells like lanolin! Strong notes of gloss paint on a proper nosing. Salt lick? Plenty of farmyard character to accompany the story of this sheep dung-dried malt. The whisky is young and thin - top notes of grain like vodka. But its soft, gentle, and grows on the palate. It develops to salty licorice and aniseed, with a finish reminscent of furniture polish. Its not unpleasant, but its different - not particularly whisky like.

Fruity and sweet on the nose. Rather lovely and decadent sherry to the fore which fades to lingering honey and apple.

Pleasantly sweet - thatll be the PX influence - with notes of toffee apple and cinnamon spice. Yum!

Pale - its young, this - with that distinctive Islay smoke on the nose. There’s some tropical fruit too. On the palate its gentle, with vanilla ice cream. Definitely oaky on the finish but its youth means its not a woody bomb of overpowering tannins.