Pronounced “Smo-KAY”.
Also, at least one not Islay. As an aside… I don’t even like peated whiskeys… Why do I subject myself to this!? Oh yeah, it’s the FOMO. Let’s get it over with.
Talisker 11, 2009, Old Particular, K&L SP, 59.6%
Well this smells like ashy and salty smoke with very light perfume together in a glass; salt, iodine, wet ash, minerality, very high proof. Rich, slightly salty, citrusy and buttery palate with fairly high proof but almost no smoke notes. The smoke comes back into its form in the aftertaste but not oversaturating and provides a fitting salty-smoky send off to the experience. Overall: Flavorful, wild and disjointed in a good way. It’s youthful and exciting and all sorts of interesting, not to mention it’s bursting with flavors. All in all this is extremely drinkable. Value: At $119 I feel it is slightly overpriced and should have been $99 instead.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1611881
Score: B+
GlenAllachie 4 Year Old “Future Edition” Billy Walker 50th Anniversary First Peated Cask Strength, 60.2%
Well, this is something alright. This is the 4th bottle in the series of limited Billie Walker Anniversary editions that look at past, present and future of the Glenallachie’s distillery. It also celebrates that fact that Billie Walker has been working in the whisky industry for 50 years. This is peated with mainland peat so it theory it shouldn’t be too much… Let’s dig in. I dunno what they say about mainland, the nose is very salty smoke. It smells almost exactly like a fish smoker smells like after just finishing a fresh batch in there. We’ve got salt, smoke, iodine, high alcohol content. The palate is… salt, smoke, sweet fruit, some bourbon spices, iodine, gentle on the alcohol surprisingly. Lingering aftertaste follows with salt sticking around the palate, but backed up by warming spices, light orchard fruits and more savouriness. Overall: To be clear, I personally flat out do not like how peated it is… and it’s very strongly peated. But I have to give credit where credit is worth and it’s not bad whiskey, especially surprising for the age. I’d have easily given this 12 years old blindly. Value: Listed at $129 at K&L this is certainly a better value vs Octomores… But it’s also not an Octomore. Quite terrible at the specs, perhaps worth it for collectors of limited edition bottles. For context, the British MSRP on this is 80 pounds ($99).
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1664415
Score: B
Ledaig 15, K&L SP, Old Particular, 51.8%
My first Ledaig (aka peated Tobermory). Distilled in 2006 and aged in refill sherry butt. Perhaps? Maybe? I do like sherry+peat in certain cases. The color is dark straw, so it’s going to be sherry-light for sure. Lots of wood smoke and only a little salt surprisingly for an Islay, perhaps the sherry is hiding that iodine. With time, more sherry fruit notes float to the surface giving an impression of dried fruit compote, complete with a touch of smoke and salt… Think sun-dried apricots and bbq-baked apples. On the palate, clean smoke, sherry sweetness. Notable absence of salt or iodine. Aftertaste adds light cigar ash to the palate and lasts for quite a while. With water… peat takes a step back but sherry doesn’t. I’m 50/50 on water as the overall experience also loses some of its edge. Overall: Hate to admit it, but this is solid. Yes, it’s peated. But it’s also sherried and I like this combo. Very tasty pour. Value: $99 for the 15 year old single cask spec. Solid price.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1558743
Score: A-
Caol Ila 13, K&L SP, Old Particular, 56.9%
A 2008 distillate from a refill sherry butt… This cask has heard of sherry 40 years ago I feel… the color here is very white wine. Visually there’s nothing even remotely resembling sherry in here. The nose has some of the interesting sherry notes, though subdued and overwhelmed by intensely ashy peat smoke and lots of iodine with sea salt. Sweet and intensely salty palate, bright citrus and orchard fruits follow. With repeated sips, more fruit and sweetness with gobs of vanilla custard replacing salt. There’s an odd flavor note there I am unable to place, like a balled up cluster of every sherry spice together. Long aftertaste with warm spices and salty smoke. Overall: This is intense. Much more intense than any other Caol Ila I’ve tried before. Intense chameleon of flavors that goes from intense salt to intense sugar, also hello sherry leftovers! Was it white sherry of some kind? Also intensely smoky. Definitely off-profile Caol Ila. Value: This was $75 certainly a solid deal for smoke-heads.
https://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=1558736
Score: B+
Port Askaig 10th Anniversary, 55.85%
Obviously Caol Ila here. At 10 years old, this is a blend of 33 casks of 3 different types: refill American Oak hogsheads used in Askaig 100%, first-fill bourbon casks, and ex-solera sherry casks. The color is rich straw, at best. The nose is sweet with few sherry sweetness notes, then mostly salty smoke as is typical of Caol Ila, the backing note is an interesting and slightly fishy funkyness. The palate is a mix of sherry sweetness and salty smoke. The sherry mostly brings the sugars and lets the peat shine through integrating together well. It’s basically salted light apples and smoked white fish. The aftertaste is extremely mellow, and while lingering smoke continues for a while, overall it’s a letdown. Overall: Enjoyable, sweet and uncomplicated 10 year old Islay is pretty much a solid casual pour. There’s nothing outstanding and nothing wrong, just a high proof Caol Ila done well. Amen for higher proof here! Otherwise, it’d be too thin. Value: At $99 this is a decent proposition to fans with the proof and age. Yet again, middle of the pack.
Score: B
Outro: I’m rating peated whiskeys with high grades. What’s wrong with me! Arg!
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Scoring Breakdown: https://www.aerin.or … age=scores_breakdown