Port Askaig 8 Year

Fantastic Islay. Swert, and a wonderful balance between iodine and meaty smoke flavor. Great.

Very pale yellow color, almost none at all. Aromas are lots of peat with a bit of caramel and nutmeats. Flavors are like nose, modestly sweet with some solvent and maybe dates. Not bad not great.

I'm a fan of peat, so anything Islay I'll try happily. Upon opening, the peat dominates the olfactory. The sweetness slowly follows with a sweet cake, a weird metallic smell like rain falling on metal and a dash of lemon scented household cleaner. Sounds weird but stay with me. The taste is surprisingly sweet, but then you get a briny taste of the ocean. A touch of black licorice, light smoke and blazing finish. If this was a 12 year I would be happy to buy. Weirdly enough they only sell an 8 year or 17 year. Don't understand the gap.

Flaviar advent calendar day #15 Nose: peat, mild lemon zest, smoke, touch of salt air. Has an almost floral element. As you acclimate, a creamy buttery vanilla and fresh mowed grass appears Palate: bright, sweet, lively. There's a creamy vanilla, bright lemon zest, like caramel. A solid chewy and sweet malt throughout that is relatively light on the palate. Peat and smoke elements are here gently wrapping the above together. There's a touch of lemongrass as well. Finish: charcoal, smoked ham, salt air, mellow oak tannin.