robertmaxrees
Reviewed
February 22, 2020 (edited October 14, 2021)
Nose: Earth, smoke, vegetal brine. Honeyed cereal grains. Buried vanilla. Coffee, leather, rosemary, thyme, anise. Tobacco. Hint of oak. Definitely on the younger end of the spectrum - some aspects of this haven't evolved or developed. Bright and shiny, but not in an unappealing way.
Palate: Honey, toasted grains - the barley is getting a chance to be in the spotlight here. Mint, lemon zest. Bitter chocolate and black pepper. Smokey, dry ash. Tobacco, oak, fresh cut grass. Cream. Mouthfeel is medium, with the oil content here making things real interesting and some effervescence that betrays the 80 proof. Finish is medium-long and begins without much evolution - sweet barley, smoke, earth. The deeper notes disappear and plum and strawberry begins to poke through, with the barley morphing into a sweetened granola. Smoke and ash present throughout, and the end coasts into mint, lemon oik, coriander seeds, thyme, and basil.
Other notes: I've been searching a while for a daily drinker peated Islay and I've found it. That this was less than $25 out the door (tax included) puts a smile on my face. It by no means isn't without flaw - the rumor mill says this is 6 years old and what's in the glass reflects that, but what IS here is good enough that I'll absolutely be keeping this one stocked in my home bar. I'd also gladly recommend this to anybody looking to dive into the world of peat.