Oh Islay, with all thy faults I love thee still. I said in Bowmore and have not forgot it... As you might have guessed February tasting was dedicated to the newest Islay releases available on a market.
Caol Ila 5 yo vintage 2009 Hepburn's Choice 46% - young but bold confident Islay spirit. Lots of mash and barley notes, moderately smoky and salty. Quite good as for 5 yo! Score = 81/100.
Ardbeg Perpetuum Distillery Release 49.2% - one of the latest official Ardbeg releases that already made some fuss on the market. Nose is quite reserved: peat and brine walking together. Not too complicated. Palate is more powerful: grapefruit bitterness, eucalyptus, brine and peat smoke followed by long finish of appoximately the same profile. Very good for NAS whisky. Though I would have spent EUR 250 for one more Airigh Nam Beist 1990 instead. Score = 86/100!
Bunnahabhain 7 yo 2008/2015 cask 4903 2nd Fill Oloroso 58.6% - cherry and figs in the nose, lovely combination! Dense well-framed sherry and salt are doing their work in palate. Quite complex in this age already, wonderfully delicious and drinkable Bunna it is! There is subtle note of mushrooms and mold though in this case it doesn't spoil anything. Really impressed by this one. Handfilled exclusive and distillery only. Try it when you're there. Score = 89/100!
Bunnahabhain 12 yo bottled 2015-2016 cask 1490 1st Fill Oloroso 59.9% - comparing to previous sample it spent 12 years in first fill sherry cask and however strange it may sound it wasn't so good for it. Again strong sherry influence: raisins, nuts. Already a lot of mushrooms and mold which is bad in this case. Score = 87/100!
Bowmore The Devil's Casks release III 56.7% - a blend of first fill Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks. Red label hints at reddish colour in your glencairn :) Quite complicated in the nose: raisins, sherry, tobacco and even bacon. The palate is fruity, peppery, smoky, spicy and even ashy :) Lots of layers. Despite the fact previous sample is easier for drinking this Bowmore compexity is also worth high score of 87/100!
Caol Ila 17 yo 1997/2015 Unpeated Sp. Release 55.9% - quite interesting sample for me as it's unpeated Caol Ila matured in bourbon casks. Wittingly unfair terms of contest: neither peat not sherry will help it. Nose: silicon, damp earth and wet leaves, lemons, a bit of sulphur and vegetables. Taste: herbs, vanilla, lemons, quite creamy and salty. Hints of dust and wet carton (bad cork in this one?..). Medium-long finish on pepper, salt, vanilla and touch of smoke. Quite interesting and good overall. Score = 86/100.
Bunnahabhain 1986/2013-2014 Whiskies Of Scotland 53.7% - so secret one that they don't even state year of bottling :) Haven't found it on WB also. The most controversial whisky of the evening: 27-28 years old, but... quite alcoholic when poured in the glass, some varnish and ethereal notes. Strong contrast with great aged sherry Bunnas of the past. Palate is simple and laconic: salt and wood. Some members liked it, I didn't. Score = 82/100.
Lagavulin Islay Jazz Fest 2015 54.4% - given the fact that standard Lagavulin assortment is not that big this one is very intriguing. Label says "Refill American & European Oak Bodega Casks". Kippery, salty and smoky in the nose, oily, spicy and lemony on a palate. Long sweet finish and beatiful balance. I'd say it has more bourbon casks in a vatting than usual 16 yo style. Score = 90/100! (yep, the best one today).
Some morning thoughts: great tasting, all samples were decent or good, Islay is Islay. Larger part of malts were either festival ones, or distillery only releases, front edge of the industry. Impressed by quality of 7 yo Bunna. For better of for worse switching to young or NAS Islay malts would be our reality for the next 5-10 years. There is certain deficit of old Islay malts on the shelves (let's say older than 25 years) and for that price you can afford buying a village somewhere in Central Africa. So be prepared, NAS is coming!
No comments:
Post a Comment