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#islay
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Laphroaig 15 Year Old Returns as Permanent Release
After more than ten years away, Laphroaig's legendary 15 Year Old is back for good. What makes this mellowed Islay malt worth the £85 price tag?
by Beth Squires1 viewwhisky-newsislaylaphroaigpeated-whiskyscotchsingle-malt - news
Bruichladdich Celebrates Yellow Submarine III Launch at Sub Club
What happens when an Islay distillery teams up with Glasgow's most legendary nightclub? Bruichladdich's Yellow Sub Club delivers a cult whisky revival worth toasting.
by Mark Littler1 viewwhisky-newsbruichladdichislaylimited-editionscotchsingle-malt - news
Bruichladdich 2008 Oloroso (Halcyon Spirits)
Halcyon Spirits has been following a slow path since 2023, with just one or two bottlings per year, released one-by-one. They set the bar high with old (expensive) Macallan and Clynelish . Subsequent releases became more affordable, mostly around the £ 200 mark.Their seventh release is this Bruichladdich 2008 . It is 18 years old and it spent the last three in a fresh Oloroso hogshead. Bruichladdich 18 yo 2008 (57,3%, Halcyon Spirits 2026, Oloroso sherry hogshead finish, 185 btl.) Nose: a lot of tobacco leaves, with a nice hint of heavily toasted oak, old leather and whiffs of peppermint. It's very good sherry cask, probably European oak. Underneath there is some dried apricot and toffee, as well as marmalade. Cinnamon and roasted nuts with a chocolate coating. Some Atlantic freshness comes out as well. Mouth: again rather wood-driven, with this toasted layer and the bourbon-like peppermint. Orange peels, golden raisins and figs, along with some peppery heat, cinnamon and ginger.
by Ruben1 viewbruichladdich18yo200857-3halcyon-spiritsislay - news
Big Peat Leiden Edition / Berry Bros Islay Reserved
A review of the Big Peat Leiden Edition and the Islay Reserve from Berry Bros & Rudd.
by Thijs Klaverstijn1 viewreviewsislayscotlandberry-bros-ruddbig-peatdouglas-laing - news
Award Winning Bowmore 12 Drops To £30 At Tesco — £14.50 Off And Cheaper Than Amazon
Fancy an award-winning Islay single malt for nearly a third off? Tesco's £30 Clubcard price on Bowmore 12 beats Amazon and every major retailer — but is it for you? Read the full article at Award Winning Bowmore 12 Drops To £30 At Tesco — £14.50 Off And Cheaper Than Amazon
by Mark Littler4 viewswhiskey-articlesbowmoreclubcardislayscotchsingle-malt - news
Rare Find Unveils Summer 2026 Single Cask Scotch Collection
What happens when four distillery spirits meet bourbon, Napa wine and oloroso sherry casks? Rare Find's Summer 2026 Collection reveals four single cask contrasts. Read the full article at Rare Find Unveils Summer 2026 Single Cask Scotch Collection
by Mark Littler3 viewswhiskey-newsblair-atholdalmunachdeanstonindependent-bottlerislay - news
Bowmore 2007 ‘Gentle Giant’ (Passion for Whisky)
Although we never get enough of the recent wave of Bowmore releases, this one arrived exactly when I just published two or three others. So I postponed it a little. Anyway this Bowmore 18 Year Old gets the title Gentle Giant , because Stefan from Passion for Whisky is tall and looks a bit like a gentle giant. He chose this cask to celebrate his anniversary. Bowmore 18 yo 2007 (50,3%, Boogieman Whisky Society 2026, bourbon hogshead, 90 btl.) Nose: fresh and maritime, with kelp and crushed shells, wet gravel, minty notes and lots of bright citrus. Lemon juice and candied lemon peels, brine, maybe light peach as well. Not very peaty, there's just a light hint of tarry rope in the distance. Mouth: more smoky now, along with peppermint, more seaweed and drying mineral notes. Mid-palate a short flash of green mango and passion fruit appears, something we're always hoping for. Then also wet wool, more saltiness and lots of cold ashes. Subtle hints of grassy herbs and light resin too. Fi
by Ruben4 viewsbowmore18yo2007boogiemanbourbon-caskislay - news
Berry Bros & Rudd, Miniature Pack Blind Tasting, 2 x Speyside, 1 x Islay, 1 x Irish, Single Malts, 44.2% to 48.2%
This Berry Bros & Rudd selection pack was specifically chosen for a Blind Tasting session. Coming from such a long-standing independent bottler of fine repute I’m sure the contents are all of good quality & taste. It’s down to personal preference as to which one will float your boat the most. For my palate I’m … Continue reading Berry Bros & Rudd, Miniature Pack Blind Tasting, 2 x Speyside, 1 x Islay, 1 x Irish, Single Malts, 44.2% to 48.2% →
by Whiskey Nut3 viewsirish-whiskeyscottish-whiskyberry-bros-ruddblind-tastinggndislay - news
Islay Rum Distillery wins SFWSC 2026 Double Gold
Can a rum taste like Islay whisky? Discover how The Islay Rum Distillery’s peated-cask Barrel Aged rum earned 98 points and Double Gold at SFWSC 2026.
by Mark Littler3 viewswhisky-newsbarrel-aged-rumdouble-goldislayoriginal-islay-rumpeated-whisky-casks - news
3x Bowmore: Wu Dram Clan / Creative Whisky Company / Wemyss Malts
A review of three Bowmore, including a recent 18-year-old from Wu Dram Clan, as well as two older releases from Creative Whisky Company and Wemyss Malts.
by Thijs Klaverstijn3 viewsreviewsbowmoreislayscotland13yo15yo - news
whic setzt Rauchserie Ragnarøkkr fort: Hrímþursar
Mit Hrímþursar bringt whic den elften Teil seiner getorften Whiskyserie Ragnarøkkr auf den Markt. Der Name bedeutet Frostriesen und stammt aus der nordischen… Der Beitrag whic setzt Rauchserie Ragnarøkkr fort: Hrímþursar erschien zuerst auf WHISKYFANBLOG.DE .
by Jörg Bechtold3 viewsnewsnoteseast-islayhrim-ursarislaymoscatel - news
Big Peat – Leiden Edition 2026
Douglas Laing likes to play with their Big Peat series, one of the cornerstones of the Remarkable Regional Malts range. Limited editions are often nicely themed, with the typical character in a Christmas or Sinterklaas disguise. Many places around the world also have their localised edition: Mount Fuji, Tirol, Haemeldaeme... you name it.For Whisky in Leiden 2026 , which takes place next weekend in a church in Leiden, they came up with a tequila finished version. Big Peat - The Leiden Edition (60,9%, Douglas Laing 2026, tequila cask finish, 256 btl.) Nose: lots of mineral notes, seaweed, damp soil, along with roasted lemons and kippers. Nice mentholated / camphory notes. Also bonfire ash and a slightly sweeter hint of vanilla and unripe peach. Light herbal undertones as well. Really good. There's a very light green / vegetal note but I'm not getting much of the expected agave. Mouth: big and punchy. Quite raw, with a lot of white pepper and fiery medicinal peat coming out. Lemon j
by Ruben4 viewsblends60-9big-peatdouglas-laingislaytequila-cask - news
botti da orbi “guest review”: bruichladdich 1993 extra strength (1993/2004, Wilson & Morgan, 50%)
Questa rubrica è sempre stata lo spazio ricreativo di Zuc, un po’ come la camera da letto di un adolescente in cui mamma e papà hanno giurisdizione relativa. Insomma, ha una sorta di “diritto di tappo”: può portare qui dentro spiriti & affini che gli capita di assaggiare nella sua “altra” vita, ovvero quella di… Continue reading →
by whiskyfacile3 viewsbruichladdich50independent-bottlerislayitalian-independent-bottlerrecensione - news
Bowmore 2005 (The Whisky Jury)
I sometimes get the question 'which distillery should I look into?' and then Bowmore is always one of my answers. They've taken an impressive leap forward from the horrible violet-infused production and the mediocre wine finishes. A few years ago we started to see a new style of spirit, full of fruits, even tropical fruits. Today these can be found in several official bottlings. At the same time independent bottlers seem to have access to more Bowmore again, and seem to embrace the new style.At the Limburg Whisky Fair a lot of people talked about two Bowmore 2005 expressions, the one from TWA and this one from The Whisky Jury .
by Ruben2 viewsbowmore200521yo52-8islaythe-whisky-jury - news
Caol Ila / Bowmore (Douglas Laing Old Particular)
There appears to be a subset of the Old Particular range from Douglas Laing, called The Islay Collection . It celebrates the smoky reputation of the island. Especially in The Netherlands they've made quite a bit of noise about it.Douglas Laing started this series with three finished whiskies (2x port and 1x tequila). If it's really a celebration of the classic Islay character, then why not showcase it in a natural state?
by Ruben3 viewsbowmorecaol-ila2014douglas-laingislayold-particular - news
2x Islay Malt 1991 (The Whisky Jury)
Among the latest bottlings from The Whisky Jury there were two 1991 Islay Malts . One is a general release and the other is for friends: Passion for Whisky in The Netherlands and Lucky Choice in Australasia.I tried both at the Limburg Whisky Fair last weekend and they were really good.
by Ruben4 viewsundisclosed199134yoislaylaphroaiglucky-choice - news
Laphroaig Cairdeas Lore vs. the Standard Lore: A Head-to-Head That Surprised Me
Can a cheaper, younger cask strength Laphroaig actually beat the refined, older Lore? This head-to-head comparison delivered a surprising winner. Read the full article at Laphroaig Cairdeas Lore vs. the Standard Lore: A Head-to-Head That Surprised Me
by Whisky In The 65 viewswhiskey-articlescairdeascask-strengthislaylaphroaiglore - news
Port Askaig 100 Proof Returns Along With New Sherry Cask Release
Why did Port Askaig pull its cult-favorite 100 Proof from shelves — and what changed to bring it back alongside a brand-new Sherry Cask expression? Read the full article at Port Askaig 100 Proof Returns Along With New Sherry Cask Release
by Mark Littler5 viewswhiskey-newsbourbon-caskelixir-distillersislaynew-releaseport-askaig - news
Bruichladdich 21 Years Re/Define (2024)
A review of the Bruichladdich 21 Years Re/Define, matured exclusively on Islay for over two decades.
by Thijs Klaverstijn5 viewsreviewsbruichladdichislayscotland21yo - news
Laphroaig / Knockdhu / Clynelish / Bodega Toro Albalá (Decadent Drinks)
A review of Decadent Drinks' latest release, including whiskies from Clynelish, Knockdhu and Laphroaig, as well as a Vintage 1951 Amontillado sherry from Bodega Toro Albalá.
by Thijs Klaverstijn5 viewsreviewsclynelishhighlandsislayknockdhulaphroaig - news
Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured (2026)
Maury is one of the AOCs for fortified wines (Vin Doux Naturel) in the Rousillon area, near Perpignan in France. It is a fairly small zone (just four communes), even if you add the bigger neighbours Rivesaltes and Banyuls it is a limited production.Most Maury is sweet but it can also be dry, and it can be made of white or red grapes, mostly grenache, macabeu and muscat. The wines are aged in barriques, large foudres or - more typically - in glass demi-johns exposed to direct sunlight. This gives the wine a flavour profile with the sweetness of Port but also the oxidative rancio character of Madeira for instance.Some of the best known producers like Mas Amiel, which I visited a couple of years ago, have vineyards in several AOCs so they can offer several denominations.I don't think I've ever had a whisky matured in Maury casks, so here's a first. Kilchoman Maury Cask Matured was a full term maturation, not merely a finish. A set of 19 Maury butts from 2021 were vatted for this release,
by Ruben5 viewskilchoman50islaymaury - news
Mortlach / Port Charlotte / Dalmunach (Lady of the Glen)
A review of three new releases from Lady of the Glen, including a Port Charlotte, Mortlach and Dalmunach.
by Thijs Klaverstijn5 viewsreviewsdalmunachislaymortlachport-charlottescotland - news
Port Askaig 8 Years / 15 Years / 17 Years / 25 Years
Port Askaig is the well-known brand of Islay whiskies from Elixir Distillers . Launched in 2009 , we've had a lot of expressions over the years from 8 year-olds up to 45 year-olds. Today we're revisiting a few of them, and we include a 15 Year Old and 25 Year Old that we hadn't seen before.Remember all of these are single malt whiskies . Caol Ila is often part of the line-up, but also others. Port Askaig 8 yo (45,8%, Elixir Distillers +/- 2025) Nose: a slightly funky, vegetal nose. A lot of cabbage and sauerkraut, along with apple cider and hints of new rubber wellies. Then some seaweed butter, lemon rinds and a slightly mezcal-like smokiness. Hints of yeasty dough in the distance. Mouth: rather thick, with a nice balance of apple sweetness, some sourness, peppery heat and lifting coastal notes. Plenty of vegetal oils and cold ashes. Heather and brine, a touch of ginger, along with lemon juice and hints of oysters. Finish: good length, with some toffee sweetness shining through,
by Ruben5 viewsundisclosed15yo17yo25yo8yoelixir-distillers - news
Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength
If you’re an Ardbeg fan (and, presumably – by definition – an Ardbeg drinker) then you’ll eagerly await each Committee Exclusive release when they come along. Whether it’s the annual Ardbeg Day special release, or some other Committee Exclusive that the team has put together, it would be fair to say that these releases always … Continue reading "Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength" The post Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength appeared first on Whisky and Wisdom .
by AD3 viewsreviewsardbegardbeg-10cask-strengthislay
