ctbeck11
Smokey Joe
Blended Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
June 15, 2021 (edited September 4, 2022)
Nose - medicinal peat, rubber, iodine, smoked meat, leather, tar, caramel, vanilla, lemon zest, moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - rubbery peat, tar, green apple, toffee, dry vanilla, iodine, leather, mesquite, smoked meat, lemon zest, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with peat smoke, toffee, and lemon zest flavors.
I may have been a little tough on Total Wine yesterday. Not all of their house offerings are awful. This is one of those cases. Now before you go full Black Friday and stampede through the aisles of your local store, this isn’t great; it’s just not terrible.
The nose is classic Islay, but more youthful and timid than most. It’s medicinal, rubbery, and meaty, with a bit of caramel and vanilla making an appearance. The palate is more boisterous, with citrus zest and green apple joining the smoke party.
Overall, this is better than average. It tastes as I’d imagine a young Laphroaig and Caol Ila blend would if it were diluted too much. This is bottled at 46%, but is still thin and watery. It has good bones, but the execution is flawed. It’s not at the same level as other young Islays like Wee Beastie, and it’s certainly inferior to Laphroaig 10 and Caol Ila 12, however this is priced right at $37 a bottle near me. If you want an Islay and are on a shoestring budget, Smokey Joe isn’t a bad option.
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@Ctrexman Looks like the Ardmore isn’t sold locally. The Shieldaig is. After tasting some of their other products, I have doubts. But at $20 a bottle, it seems compelling from a value perspective.
I think Ardmore Legacy and Shieldaig Islay present stiff competition but cannot completely disagree with your review
@ctbeck11 Yeah, mezcal is one of the harder spirits to get an understanding of IMHO. Forgot I'd sent you a sample of the Los Vecinos lol
@ContemplativeFox Looking forward to giving that sample you sent over a try. I’m still building up the courage to do a mezcal review series. They’re wonderful, but definitely out of my analysis comfort zone.
@ctbeck11 I think I got my bottle of Glasgow for around $35 a year or so ago, so I might be underestimating some prices '~' Definitely wouldn't feel bad buying this for $37. As for mezcal, Los Vecinos Espadin isn't amazing, but it punches way above its weight for $30. It is t the boldest flavorwise but it's decently complex without any really off notes.
@ContemplativeFox Yep, Glasgow Blend and Johnnie Green are both around $10 more here, but definitely better. And I think mezcal is fair game. Haven’t tried that particular one yet. Most of the mezcals I’ve tried and enjoyed are in a higher price bracket.
@ctbeck11 You have a good point. I don't think I can think of one, but for $45 I can get JW Green and for $50 there's Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig QC. I haven't tried all of the cheapish blends though and Compass Box Glasgow is in about that range so it might be a good choice. Going a different direction, I could get Los Vecinos Espadin for $30 if mezcal is an acceptable substitute :)
@ContemplativeFox I was trying to think of other Islays around my area that would be better for less than $37 a bottle. I’m probably missing something obvious, but couldn’t think of any. Johnnie Black and Black Grouse are in a similar price range, but not sure I’d say they’re better.
Greta notes! I thought this was surprisingly good, but a bit more expensive than was reasonable. At <$30 I might recommend it