Four Top-Notch Unrevealed Islays


July 25, 2023

Four Top-Notch Unrevealed Islays

Islay's Port Askaig Hotel and a part of the harbour on a glorious day (photo Port Askaig Hotel)

Quite a while back, a good friend who's part of the whisky industry told me that after all, we can indeed mix (they say 'blend') whiskies without displaying either their composition or their age or vintage, because after all, that's what the prestigious champagne houses do, whose products are nonetheless blends. True, but we mustn't forget that a single varietal is more appreciated in Champagne, or at least a Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs, even more so a vintage (millésimé), and even more when it is a Premier or Grand Cru with its name displayed. I believe champagne, like cognac for that matter, is therefore the perfect counterexample. But let's pop corks and proceed in good faith...

Big Peat 'The Smokehouse Edition' (48%, Douglas Laing, blended malt, Feis Ile 2023)

This one was 'finished predominantly in red wine casks'. Which reminds me of some Port Ellen Pomerol finish of old, or of some Laphroaig Portwood. Or of some Hawaiian pizza… But then again, there is no doubt that our Scottish friends have greatly improved their methods since that famous Port Ellen Pomerol, which they perhaps made at the time just for the joys of a little alliteration (it wasn't DL). Colour: gold, not red. Nose: very peaty and coastal, not full of peonies and raspberry jam. And pretty earthy and camphory, not ridden with cassis buds and geranium. In short, good integration, no dissonances and with respect for the Islayness. I think we're relieved. Mouth: there's more wineyness on the palate, goji, raspberries, salted strawberries, candied cherries, plus bay leaves, Timut pepper, blood oranges, and always a 'big peat' on top of it. Once again no real dissonances in fact. Quite curiously, it works… Finish: long, with more pepper, more goji berries, some leaves (tomato) and some lapsang souchong. Comments: it remains a variation in my book – and there shouldn't be any Port Ellen indeed. I believe it is as good as it could be, given the recipe. So, which red wine? Terroir? Varietals? Vintage? Type and origin of the oak? Barrique? Pièce? Foudre? Egg?...
SGP:756 - 85 points.

Peat Bog 'Sherry Cask' (55.8%, The Whisky Cask, 2020)

This is a single malt – but does that actually matter when you do not know which one (discuss at will…) I remember we had tried one that had been difficult, but that was almost ten years ago. The Whisky Cask is an excellent German house, I'm sad I had to miss Limburg this year. Colour: full gold. Nose: awesomely tight, on walnuts from the sherry and salty, peated lemons from the make. Some stunning umami in the background, plus mint sauce. Exceptional nose. With water: heeeeeey! But this is wonderful indeed! Wee touches of patchouli, marijuana, borage, tiger balm… Mouth (neat): quite superb again. Gritty, tannic walnuts, grapefruit juice, seawater, juniper… I think it's uncommon to find this much citrus in a sherried peater, even in Caol Ila. Love it. Also coffee and chocolate, in moderate amounts this time. With water: still love it. It became a tad more rustic, grassy… But all in all it remains brilliant, full, wonderfully compact. Finish: long, with salted marmalades, lime juice, grapefruit… Comments: imagine, this is just some humble undisclosed NAS… Very grand little whisky (?), they should tell us more about it. Ausgezeichnet. Ell earned score, no typo.
SGP:566 - 90 points.

Port Askaig 2010-2012/2023 'Nouvelle Vague' (56.8%, Elixir Distillers, 2023)

A single malt, as always, from three hogsheads plus a new oak cask. Love the multi-vintage trend (Sponge, Rhum J.M., now Elixir…) now as for the name, it's got nothing to do with the band 'Nouvelle Vague', it's rather about French cinema, Truffaut, Godard (who was Swiss), Chabrol, Resnais… Colour: white wine. Nose: the expected 'sweet peat', ashes and rubbers, crabs and clams, seawater and kelp, apple peel, a little menthol… With water: with rubber bands and pencil erasers, we're back at school. Mouth (neat): fatter than usual, creamier, coating, with cream eggs and sunflower oil, drops of Jaeger, some kind of allspice liqueur, some chilli… With water: some cocoa powder on the tip of your tongue, probably from the new oak. A tad boosted but that goes well with this distillate, which I always find heavier than people think. A lighter Islay, yeah right. Finish: long, with wood oils, ointments, grapefruit skin, strong green tea… Comments: I'm more a refill kind of guy (oh come on, you know what I'm trying to say), but indeed this one works like a charm, even if ¼ new oak might be a kind of limit, as we've seen elsewhere with some disastrous 'all-new-oak' bottlings. No, no name.
SGP:576 - 86 points.

Good, an old one as #4, what do you say?

Secret Islay 31 yo 1990/2022 (51.6%, Archives, refill hogshead, cask # 4404338, 249 bottles)

A Pelargopisis Gouldi on the label! Why not a Williamsonis Bessi next time? Colour: straw. Nose: these are just great. Pristine lime juice and seawater, a little olive oil, timid mangos, fennel, dill, kippers, camphor, limoncello, a tiny wet dog (a chihuahua – we're sorry, chihuahuas)… It's not huge, but it is rather complex. With water: chalky mud, crushed slate, raw wool, green tea (Gunpowder-style), eucalyptus, myrtle liqueur… It is all wonderful. Mouth (neat): even better, more assertive than on the nose, with some high-impact lemony menthol and camphor, nettle, dandelion, mezcal, olives, chalk, peat smoke of course, kippers, peppered winkles… With water: it is so good, it is so good… Love these small nuts, pine nuts, sesame, and all this perfect salty citrus. On sushi! Finish: rather long and totally perfect. Acrid, gritty, green aftertaste but I like this a lot. Green tannins, artichoke, rubber… Comments: a wee tad old-Hakushu-y at times, should that ring a bell. Hold on, don't both Hakushu and Laphroaig belong to Suntory anyway? In any case, we've tried a few and I think this one retained a larger part of its fresh peatiness. Not talking about Hakushu here… Very grand.
SGP:667 - 92 points.

The Peat Bog was incredible, the Archives too but that was to expected. Pelargopisis Gouldi, you say…

(Thank you, Tim!)