Tag: Island Whisky Page 1 of 3

Island whiskies are produced on any of the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. Islay is not included and is seen as region on its own. Because of their distinct, peaty flavours Islay is a separate Scottish whisky region. Island whiskies tend to be somewhat in the middle of Islay and Highlands whiskies – slightly less smoky than most Islay whiskies, but smokier than most of the other Scottish regions.

Some of the most well-known Islanders are Highland Park (produced on the island of Orkney), Talisker (Skye), Jura (Jura), Tobermory (Mull) and Arran (Arran).

Tobermory 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/07/2022

In Single Malt whisky

During June 2020, I tasted the Ledaig 10 year old whisky, and today I tried the unpeated Tobermory 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The Tobermory is the unpeated release from the distillery.

The Tobermory distillery is situated on the island of Mull. John Sinclair founded the distillery in 1798 as Ledaig distillery, and is the only distillery on Mull.

The distillery is currently owned by Burn Stewart Distillers, a subsidiary of Distell Group Limited of South Africa. Tobermory spirit is used in the Scottish Leader and Black Bottle blended whisky. The peated release is named after the former name, Ledaig.

The water comes from a private loch near the Mishnish lochs. The water has some peaty phenols that give Tobermory a slightly phenolic character.

Also Read: Slyrs Whisky

The malted barley is shipped in from the Port Ellen maltings, and Tobermory has only a little storage space, so the casks are stored at Deanston Distillery near Doune.

The Tobermory core range includes a 12 year old and an 18 year old release as well as the Sinclair series, the first of which is the Rioja Cask Finish. There is also various independent bottlings and even a gin available.

The Tobermory single malt is distilled from unpeated malted barley and matured in oak casks for at least ten years. It is non-chill-filtered and without artificial colouring.

Tobermory 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Island whisky

ABV: 46.3%

COLOUR: Light gold

NOSE: Green notes and fresh flowers. Hints of black pepper, cereal, winter spice and light oak. Not a lot of fruit or sweetness. Bits of mint.

PALATE: Malt, drying oak, black pepper and light herbal notes. Bits of ginger and cinnamon with hints of lemon peel. Medium-bodied. Not a lot of sweetness. Faint honey notes in the background. Water brings more pepper to the front and makes the soft honey notes disappear. Rather one dimensional.

FINISH: Black pepper, lemon peel and oak. Drying and spicy.

RATING: GOOD

The Tobermory 10 year old Scotch whisky reminds me of the Glenglassaugh Evolution. Both have similar drying oak and pepper notes. It is a bit too spicy for my sweet palate. I prefer whisky with more sweetness and fruity notes. Sadly, there was no fruity sweetness or complexity in the Tobermory.

Comparing it to the Ledaig, I liked the Ledaig a lot more. The Ledaig 10 year old was all peat and green with sweet hints. More complex and drinkable when compared to the Tobermory.

Also Read: Hammerhead 1989 Whisky

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/07/2021

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am looking at the 3rd of my mini Talisker bottles, and it is time for the Talisker Storm single malt Scotch whisky. The Talisker 10 yo whisky easily makes it onto my top 10 desert island drams. I love the smoky, creamy notes of this release.

It is affordable and bursts with flavour. I enjoyed the Talisker Skye but found it a bit rough around the edges.

Talisker is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye. It is part of the Diageo brands and part of their Classic Malt range. The distillery was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill on the shores of Loch Harport. Talisker was updated over the years and changed hand a few times.

The distillery’s water comes from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill). The malted barley used in production comes from Muir of Ord. Talisker whisky is typically peated to a phenol level of approximately 18–22 parts per million (ppm).

Diageo released Talisker Storm in early 2013 with no age statement. The whisky is matured in specifically selected refill and toasted American oak casks. Pre Covid, the Talisker Storm single malt Scotch whisky was occasionally available in SA. Sadly, I have not seen it around for the last couple of months.

Other releases include the Talisker 57 North whisky. There is also a Talisker Dark Storm that was released as a travel retail special. Dark Storm was matured in heavily charred casks compared to the standard Storm release.

Also Read: Springbank 18 yo Whisky

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

REGION: Island of Skye

ABV: 45.8%

COLOUR: Dark Gold

NOSE: Delicate and soft with peat, smoke and sweetness. Sea salt and honey with a soft fruity note. Surprisingly sweet.

PALATE: Medium body with notes of peat, oak and honey sweetness. A bit of a chilli bite mixed with smoke and hints of black pepper. Bolder than what the nose suggested. Lovely and warming on a cold Friday afternoon. Not the most complex dram, but easy drinking. Quite a bit sweeter than the 10 yo release. Water tones down the chilli heat.

FINISH: Peat and oak dryness with a fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely dram. It warmed me up on a cold Friday evening, and I will undoubtedly be looking for a big bottle of this when it becomes available in SA again. I was surprised at how much sweeter it is when compared to the Talisker 10 yo whisky.

As soon as I managed to find a big bottle, I will do a side by side comparison. The 10 yo is still my favourite of the lot, but this Talisker Storm single malt whisky is not far behind.

Also Read: Ardbeg 10 vs An Oa Whisky

Talisker Skye Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/01/2021

In Single Malt whisky

I love the Talisker 10 year old whisky. It is one of those drams that I will take to a desert island with me. It is smooth, smoky and comforting, and of course, very drinkable. However, I need to expand my tasting notes from this Scottish Island distillery, so today, I am trying the Talisker Skye single malt Scotch whisky.

The Talisker distillery is a whisky distillery on the Isle of Skye. It is part of the Diageo stable. Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill founded the distillery in 1830. It was rebuilt and upgraded a few times over the years.

Talisker’s water comes from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill) and flows over peat, which adds an extra dimension to the whisky. Talisker has an unusual feature—swan neck lye pipes.

Diageo introduced Talisker Skye whisky in early 2015. They named it after the rugged landscape and jagged peaks of the Cuillin Mountains and the island’s wild seas. The Talisker core range also includes the Talisker Storm and the Port Ruighe.

Also Read: Ledaig 10 yo Whisky

It was great to see this distillery in the TV adaptation of one of my favourite books. In Good Omens by Terry Pratchett, the demon Crowley (played by Scotsman David Tennant) drinks Talisker by the bottle as he awaits the coming apocalypse.

This expression aims to create a more well-rounded and sweet flavour profile combined with the traditional Talisker maritime notes. It’s matured in a combination of refill and toasted American oak casks, with a slightly higher proportion of toasted casks. It is peated to an estimated 20 ppm and is a NAS release.

Talisker Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

REGION: Island

ABV: 45.8%

COLOUR: Bright gold

NOSE: The nose is clean and fresh. There are bits of fresh fruit, a peaty earthiness mixed with underlying smoke. Hints of honey and salt.

PALATE: The Talisker Skye has a medium body. There are notes of dry oak, citrus fruit, fresh apples and peat. Bits of smoke and lemon pepper. Adding water bring forward more barley and softens the pepper. It is not the most complex dram and rather delicate.

FINISH: Drying oak and pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Talisker Skye whisky has a few unfinished edges and feels like it is not quite rounded off. It is not a bad whisky, but it is difficult not to compare this release to the Talisker 10 year old whisky. The 10 year old whisky is easier drinking, more complex and smoother than the Skye.

Although the taste difference between these two is quite pronounced, the price difference between these two releases is relatively small. At Master of Malt, the Skye retails for GBP 30.21 and the Talisker 10 year old single malt for GBP 30.38. I would rather grab the 10 year old release than the Skye.

Also Read: Arran Napoleon Cognac Finish Whisky

Ledaig 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/29/2020

In Single Malt whisky

During 2019, at one of the whisky festivals, I tasted a Ledaig whisky for the first time. At the beginning of 2020, I tasted another Ledaig release and again loved it. I thought that both these special bottlings from Ledaig were impressive.

A friend brought me a mini of the Ledaig 10 year old single malt Scotchwhisky from London. So I am very excited to see what this distillery is all about. The Tobermory distillery, a whisky distillery situated on the Hebridean island of Mull, produces Ledaig whisky. It is the only distillery on Mull Island.

The distillery was first known as Ledaig and was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair. It is located at the foot of a steep hill, at the head of the bay. The water for the distillery comes from the Mishnish lochs.

Ledaig distillery had periods of significant expansion followed by periods of closure with various changes in ownership and name changes. Ledaig translates to a safe haven in Celtic and pronounced “lea-chick”.

Burn Stewart Distillers, a subsidiary of the Distell Group Limited currently own the distillery and brand. The main product, Tobermory single malt, is used in the Scottish Leader blended whisky as well as in Black Bottle whisky. The distillery also produces a smaller amount of heavily peated whisky, which is known under the former name, Ledaig.

The Ledaig portfolio consists of just two permanent expressions, the Ledaig 10 year old and an 18 year old. Various single cask releases are also available. I have tasted the Single And Single Ledaig 13 year old and That Boutiquey Whisky Company Ledaig 18 year old.

The Ledaig 10 year old single malt is aged in ex-bourbon casks and has a peat level of 35 ppm. It is non-chill filtered with natural colour.

Also Read: Glenfarclas 12 year old Whisky

Ledaig 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Scottish Islands

ABV: 46.3%

COLOUR: Bright gold

NOSE: Gentle peat with soft fruity sweetness. Hints of barley and malt with briny moss. Quite light and well-balanced.

PALATE: Light peat, ash and wet green moss. Earthy notes with spices. Something in the background that reminds me of cough lozenges. Without water, the pepper and chilli overwhelm the peat a bit. Some alcohol heat. The sweetness promised by the nose only comes out when you add a few drops of water. Medium-bodied. Water softened the ash and promoted the peat.

FINISH: Medium length with sweet peat and pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I loved the other releases that I tasted from this island distillery. This release is the start of the core range and gives a fascinating insight into the distillery style. The peat is soft and mild with more island brine notes and less Islay medicinal notes.

A great dram to introduce someone to peat. The Ledaig 10 year old whisky is not the most complex of drams but with a few drops of water it is easy drinking. Sadly I don’t think this release is currently available in South Africa. I see that at Master of Malt it retails for around R700.

Also Read: King Car Conductor Whisky

Rock Oyster Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/27/2019

In Blended Malt Whisky

A whisky I have written about before in a twitter tasting, but I think it deserves its own blog post. The Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster blended malt Scotch whisky is a firm favourite. Rock Oyster was released in 2015 as a blend of single malts from Scottish islands, including Orkney, Arran, Jura and Islay.

And like all the Douglas Laing releases, it has a lovely nautical themed label. The idea behind Rock Oyster was to create a maritime personality that reminds you of sea-salt, sweet peat, smoke, honey and pepper.

This is just the malt to make you miss the Scottish Islands. Rocky Oyster blended malt Scotch whisky is part of the Remarkable Malts range, together with the Scallywag and the Timorous Beastie and Big Peat.

Also Read: Big Peat 26 yo whisky

During 2018, Douglas Laing changed the name from Rock Oyster to Rock Island, which might be a bit more appropriate. However, this is still capturing my tasting notes for the Rock Oyster whisky release. I would love to try the Rock Oyster and Rock Island next to each other, but that will be a blog for another day.

Rock Oyster is a blended malt and is not chill-filtered, naturally coloured with no age statement, and bottled at 46.8%.

Rock Oyster Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.8%

COLOUR: Golden

NOSE: Peat, medicinal notes and iodine. Hints of smoke with newly cut green grass, hints of fruity sweetness, stormy ocean air.

PALATE: Peat, smoke with bits of summer fruit like peaches and apricots drizzled with caramel sauce. Hints of pepper, vanilla and heather. Delicious ocean character with bits of salt, seaweed and green notes. Big and bold and just delicious. Despite the bold palate, it is easy drinking, and I want a second glass.

FINISH: Wonderfully balanced between the peat and the fresh fruit with pepper. Big and bold, and it goes on forever. Warming you from the inside while you are standing on the windswept cliff.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I love this. It is like comfort food. Not fancy and spectacular, warming, comforting and it hits just the right notes. And at the price point, it is perfect. It has beautiful Islay notes, but they are perfectly balanced with the softer Highland heather and green notes and sweetness from Arran.

I can’t wait to see what the Remarkable Malts Rock Island will be priced at and how it compares to this release. I will do a side by side comparison between the two when the time comes.

Also Read: Bennachie Whisky