Travelling across Islay: Bowmore 1990 McC, Laphroaig 1991 McC, Caol Ila 2005/2017 CS GM, Laphroaig 10 yo CS Red Stripe (bottled 2007) and finally Port Ellen 27 yo 1978/2006 DL Platinum

Spontaneous tasting with Andrii on one of October Fridays, why not explore our favorite island? :) 

Bowmore 1990/2013 McC cask #185082 52.2% - 238 bottles released. 

Nose: typically earthy and smoky, lots of sea air and brine. 

Taste: spicy, smoky and assertive. 

Finish: quite long with touches of herbs. 

Overall: nice Bowmore, not more, but not less. 

Score = 21 22 22 22, 87/100!

Laphroaig 1991/2013 McC cask# 6856 51.8% - 280 bottles released. 

Nose: I'd say a bit more refined, grassy, light smoke and hospital aromas.

Taste: salty, spicy with touch of citrus fruits. 

Finish: salt, pepper and ginger rule.

Overall: nice Laphroaig and so on :) 

Score = 21 22 22 22, 87/100!

Caol Ila 11 yo 2005/2017 GM casks #301522, 301530, 301532 56.8% - the casks said to be first fill sherry, though the colour is bright, surely not PX :) 

Nose: intensive on sea, gouache paints and lemon. 

Taste: the power of ashes and sea :) 

Finish: long and unexpectedly fresh, lemon forgotten in yesterday's ashes and some oysters.

Overall: even relatively young Caol Ila could be a nice replacement for Port Ellen (a perfect oyster malt for me). Liked it very much, real bargain. 

Score = 22 22 22 22, 88/100!

Laphroaig 10 yo cask strength (bottled 2007) Red stripe 55.7% - quite rare and sought after release at the moment.

Nose: intensive, smoked fish, smokehouse by the sea. 

Taste: thick and powerful, medicinal, ashes and pepper, some fruits hidden under ashes. 

Finish: long, briny and medicinal. 

Overall: kind of Islay barbarian, furious and unstoppable. 

Score = 21.5 22.5 22.5 22, 88+/100!

Port Ellen 27 yo 1978/2006 DL Platinum 55.3% - 375 bottles released, ex-bourbon cask.

Nose: salt, iodine and some licorice, no smoke at all at the very beginning. Slowly, step after step it starts unfolding and shows peat smoke, flowers (!), oily fish, hazelnuts. Develops into mint and eucalyptus flavours after some time and water. 

Taste: thick and assertive, salty, sweet and resinous simultaneously with lots of roasted barley (akin to older Ardbegs). 

Finish: long, multidimensional, covering all mentioned above. You just don't want to speak, but to savour every drop.

Overall: great malt! 

Score = 23 23 23 23, 92/100!