Weekend Briefs Aug. 2022: Reviews from around Islay
A round-up of brief reviews from the last couple of weekends. This time I revisited a few Islay mainstays and a couple of independent releases, all on the comparatively affordable end of the pricing spectrum. While I tried a couple of these much earlier in my whisky journey, this was my first time sitting down with them and thoughtfully jotting down some notes.
Despite its relatively limited size, about 20% of all whisky reviews I have written have been Islay whiskies. It is also my second highest rated region in Scotland, trailing Campbeltown just barely— though I have tried far fewer whiskies from that even smaller region. Islay whisky is where my journey truly began; after a few false starts with scotch, the Laphroaig Quarter cask struck such a nerve that I immediately wanted more. While I have branched away from Islay and found plenty of other peated and non-peated whiskies to love, I always find myself returning to Islay as my starting point.
To that end, here are four whiskies that may or may not be starting points for others— primarily peated, but one unpeated Bunnahabhain to stand in for the unpeated side of Islay. The TL;DR of these reviews is that they were nearly all either better than I remembered or better than I expected. In particular, the Ardbeg Wee Beastie was a good rung above what I recalled and by far the best of this lot. The Scarabus, a mystery single malt from Hunter Laing, was not far behind and just a step off the mystery malts under the Port Askaig label. The Bunnahabhain from Clan Denny was the most surprising; while it will not blow your socks off, it was still delicious and easily could have scored up a bit more if the finish had just clung on longer.
On to the reviews!
Whisky: Laphroaig Select, 40%
Nose: Old campfire, burnt logs, new tires, subtle maritime salt, dried grass, mellow earth, herbal undercurrent.
Palate: Light-bodied, salted caramel, mellow medicinal herbs, a kiss of salt, hints of asphalt; bitter herbs, charcoal, and pine at the end.
Finish: Medium-length with hints of salt and medicinal herbs.
Score: 3
Commentary: A few years back, I went to a Laphroaig tasting event to celebrate the launch of that year’s Cairdeas release. Laphroaig promised their core lineup— Laphroaig Select, 10 Year, Quarter Cask, Lore, and the new Cairdeas. At the event, I discovered right away that there would not be a tasting of the Select. It was just there for the welcoming cocktail; an excellent Penicillin. They allowed me to slip in a tiny dram, and I quickly understood why they used it for cocktails instead of the tasting. I have been curious to taste it again ever since— was it really that lackluster? Is it really intended as a solid cocktail malt rather than a typical sipper? The nose was much better than I remembered, and the flavor profile perhaps a hair better. It started off quite pleasant, and I was surprised how punchy some of the flavors felt, but then the flavors started to fall off as the initial intensity decrescendoed quickly.
Overall, good in a pinch, I would never go out and order a pour, but I would happily accept one. Likely the Laphroaig crew that hosted the tasting knew what they were doing when they used this for the welcome cocktail rather than the actual tasting.
Whisky: Bunnahabhain 10 Year (2008) Refill Hogshead 46%, Clan Denny
Nose: Preserved lemons, antiques, maritime, pebble beaches, old linen closet, tea chest, acidic coffee, sour fruit, hints of pine and nettles.
Palate: Medium-bodied, citrus, dried grass, saline, candied orange and lemon peel, grapefruit juice, malty sugars, hints of vanilla and lychee.
Finish: Brief and drying with subtle wood and salt.
Score: 4+
Commentary: I am unfamiliar with Clan Denny as a bottler beyond a vague recognition of them as a value brand. Not the sort of label you turn to for high-quality malts— but something more affordable and easier to take a swing on when trying something new. I had few expectations coming into this bottle, so I was pleasantly surprised by the experience. It drank remarkably well with a full-flavored palate and lovely mouthfeel for something at 46%. I found the aroma a bit musty and occasionally sour for my taste, but the profile on the tongue was excellent with ample sweet fruit, salt, and hints of something more tropical. The finish was short, though occasionally it lingered with a nice touch of candied fruit. Overall, this was pretty solid for a $50 and under bottle; despite some major weak points, there was a lot to enjoy.
Whisky: Ardbeg 5 Year “Wee Beastie” 47.4%
Nose: Barbecued meat, burnt brisket ends, brine, caramelized barbecue sauce, charred wood, hints of medicinal herbs and earth.
Palate: Medium-bodied, charred meat and wood, a kiss of maritime salt, hints of charred fruit and anise, old driftwood, old bike tires, earth, hints of more medicinal herbs and tobacco at the end.
Finish: Medium-length earth, herbs, and tobacco.
Score: 6
Commentary: The Ardbeg Wee Beastie had been on my list to try ever since it came out. Finally, the powers at Louis Vuitton green-lit a new Ardbeg expression with an age statement. The Wee Beastie is a simple creature— young and brash, but loaded with a delectable amount of grill and earth with hints of something more medicinal. I thought this was a step ahead of the An Oa, though I suspect one’s appreciation for sherried Ardbeg might tip the scale in the other direction. The aroma of the Wee Beastie was divine, and I was happy that the palate mostly delivered. It was a tad light at times, I wish there were just a bit more body or intensity to the flavors, but the finish was excellent and wrapped the experience on a high note. Overall, an impressive young whisky— these sorts of age statements used to be more common, and I would love to see more of them come back. Old whisky is great— but younger material has its charm too.
Whisky: Scarabus Islay Single Malt, Hunter Laing 46%
Nose: Smoldering coal, dry pine nettles, dirty grill grate, bacon, myrrh, chimney smoke, dried vegetation, hints of fruit and chocolate.
Palate: Medium-bodied, mellow citrus, subtle maritime, underlying smoke and charred wood, hints of grilled tropical fruit, medicinal herbs, pipe tobacco and driftwood at the end.
Finish: Medium-length old bonfire, a kiss of salt, and dehydrated citrus.
Score: 5+
Commentary: The aroma of this dram was an absolute wow as notes of grilling and autumn crescendoed. I almost felt the crisp cool air as I sat back and enjoyed how this developed a wonderful autumnal edge. I wish the flavor profile matched the nose more closely; it still had plenty of smoke and charred wood, but it lacked the same depth. The mouthfeel was a tad light, and the tobacco notes at the end could occasionally be a tad sour. Despite those quibbles, the finish was lovely, and the whisky was incredibly easy to drink. For $40, I do not think you can go wrong with Scarabus. It is an affordable and reasonably approachable taste of peated Islay malt. The bottle gives no clues as to where Hunter Laing has sourced the malt for this whisky, yet the flavor profile (and the economics of Islay whisky production) point clearly toward Caol Ila. Overall, delightfully affordable and surprisingly pleasant.
