Torba Islay Blended Malt, Elements of Islay
Whisky: Torba Islay Blended Malt, Elements of Islay
Country/Region: Scotland/Islay Blended Malt
ABV: 56.1%
Cask: Oak
Age: N/A (Bottled 2017)
Nose: Coastal, brine and minerals, dry grass, hints of farm, tobacco and driftwood, peppery at times.
Palate: Medium-bodied and oily, dirty shop rags, wood, vanilla, tobacco, maritime brine, dry grass.
Finish: Medium to long with black pepper, brine, and honey biscuits.
Score: 7 (83)
Mental Image: Moody Coastal Cookie Box
Narrative & Notes: Coastal and mineral, the aroma took me to chalky sea cliffs where surf spray met dried grass, scarecrows, and hints of pasture. Mentholated tobacco and driftwood lingered further in with some peppery spirit, hints of old bonfires, and dirty, old tractor tires. Medium-bodied and oily, the flavors kicked off with sun-dried vanilla and menthol among dirty shop rags, wood polish, and maritime brine. More cigar boxes and tobacco lingered further in with ginger stem, citrus, and hay bales. The finish was medium to long with cracked black pepper, brine, and honey malt biscuits.
Simple and effective, Elixir Spirits notes that this blended malt, released for Velier’s 70th Anniversary, contained the least and most peated spirits produced on Islay. I assume there is a good chance that this means the blend contained Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich’s Octomore. Without any additional clues, the flavors seemed to bear that out. As Elixir has bottled just about every distillery on Islay in its Elements of Islay range, it could be anything depending on how cheeky they were with the description.
I found the aroma delightfully dirty and rather old fashioned with a latent industrial quality underlying the grassy maritime shore. The palate was simpler with plenty of sweet notions pushing to the fore, muscling out some of the dirtier qualities. This was largely successful at providing the elements that one might consider quintessentially Islay…. You might say it embodied the elements of Islay.
Overall, tasty fare with plenty of Islay character.
