As the excellent Ian Buxton bemoans in his latest offering (Whiskies Galore, a superb personal tale of Scottish island distilleries), it is hard to know what to write about Islay anymore since
- Everyone else has written something on the subject and
- Everyone has written something glowing about it.
Even the one negative Mr Buxton was able to come up with (that Diageo had closed Port Ellen) has now been reversed.
And yet, beneath the surface, there are quiet rumblings of discontent in the whisky world. The problems are not unique to Islay: increasing prices, disappearing age statements, lower alcoholic strengths, over-the-top marketing and the flipping of limited editions. The latter was driven home when, on board the ferry, I saw adverts from an auction website for purchasers to drop their festival bottlings off for re-sale before they’d even left the island.
To an extent, the cause of these problems for enthusiasts is self-inflicted. The rise in demand for Islay whisky means that companies are trying to get the most out of their product. Ardbeg are currently in the process of adding two new stills and extra warehouse space to combat the problem.
The issue is further complicated. Drinkers cannot forget the past, with the superior and cheaper bottlings they enjoyed. It is also harder to find an equally pleasurable alternative. For all the disagreements concerning terroir, Islay whisky collectively is unique from all other whisky on earth.
There is, I believe, a solution for anyone feeling jaded and that is to head for the belly of the beast. Visit Islay and the distilleries themselves. Sit in a warehouse with other pilgrims who have made the journey, hearing not just about the distillery, but what it means and is to the people who work there, not just us who come for a week of escapism. In this setting, it is hard to not be happy.
This is the situation I found myself in last month. I visited Ardbeg and as part of their Ardbig tour, was shown around the distillery and given the chance to sample 5 cask samples, as well a previously released expression.
10 Year Old First fill Bourbon Cask – 57%
Nose – sweet and fresh, there is no doubt what this spirit has resided in. Heavy phenolics too with peat, iodine and tar. The cask flavours reveal themselves with vanilla, some pear and coconut. Pine notes with time and white grape. 7
Palate – sweet, at least initially before the peat takes over, medicinal and fluoride heavy. Whilst the nose lends itself to the cask influence, here the peat takes over, producing a slightly one dimensional experience. 5.5
Finish – the theme continues; a slight sweetness, lot of peat. 5.5
Total Score: 18 / 30
Whilst still a pleasant whisky, this dram expressed the linear flavour profile that single casks produce. Compared to the general release 10 year old which is matured in a mixture of first and second fill bourbon casks, this dram falls a little short.
12 Year Old First fill Oloroso Sherry Cask – 52.2%
Nose – thick with sherry, but still retaining a freshness, perhaps through the lightness of the Ardbeg spirit. Stewed figs, macerated cherries and balsamic strawberries. A light fruitcake with marzipan. Some milk chocolate hiding in the background. The peat, interacting with the sherry cask, is dirty, bordering on carbolic and industrial. 8.5
Palate – A one-two punch of smoke and sherry. The peat is first, with a heavy arrival before the oloroso blasts in. There’s dried orange peel, dark stewed cherries and figs, following the nose. Then, just as you swallow, the flavours transform into an incredibly perfumed potpourri and lilac. 8
Finish – the perfume dissipates, leaving some more gentle smoke, tannins and dark chocolate. 7.5
Total Score: 24 / 30
This is my kind of whisky. What initially comes across as a brash and simple dram steadily reveals layers of flavours. Quite the opposite to the first bourbon cask.
11 Year Old Virgin Toasted American Oak – 52.2%
Nose – sweet barbecue smoke. Freshly toasted cashew nuts and Chinese five spice. A decent helping of vanilla from the new American oak. Quite herbal, some fennel and sage. The impact of the oak is more restrained than other virgin cask whiskies I have tried. Adding water increases the vanilla. 5
Palate – lively, the strength is every bit of its 52.2% level. There’s salt and pepper and not much sweetness to balance it. As I’ve been thinking of Chinese food from the nose, it’s reminiscent of salt and pepper shredded chicken. The wood has a greater say here too, both fresher sandalwood and oak tannins. 4
Finish – still savoury, some smoke and now toasted pine nuts. 4
Total Score: 13 / 30
A pretty unusual whisky and one that is not really to my taste. The flavours are quite jarring.
14 Year Old First fill Manzanilla Sherry Cask – 51.2%
Nose – really fresh, red berries leap out of the glass. Strawberries and raspberries in particular. The peat has been subdued and interwoven with the cask influence. Very well rounded, a note of sponge cake holds everything together. Has anyone ever lightly smoked a Victoria sandwich? 9
Palate – slightly quieter on the palate, but still sweet red fruits. Creamier, which works well with strawberry notes. The smoke emerges towards the finish. Like the oloroso cask, it is slightly industrial in style, but this works wonderfully as part of the sherry influence. 7.5
Finish – quite salty and the smoke grows to a crescendo now. 7
Total Score: 23.5 / 30
The nose was phenomenal, but the flavours in the mouth couldn’t quite match it. Still a lovely dram. Trying two sherry casks side by side highlighted the differences between the two styles.
Ardbeg Alligator – 10 Year Old matured in heavily charred American oak – 51.2%
Nose – pungent wood smoke, ash and embers alongside a waft from the medicine cabinet, particularly menthol mouthwash. Some aniseed, contrasting with sweet vanilla. Cinnamon spice as well. Sweetens once the initial shock of the smoke wears off. 6
Palate – all sorts of smoke now. Pure wood smoke like the nose, but also heavier peaty vegetal elements, offering TCP and iodine. Harsher smoke too, burning rubber perhaps. The phenolics are too dominant for me, not much else can poke through. Water helps and balances things, definitely a worthwhile addition. 5.5
Finish – unfortunately, the rubbery smoke seems to hang around the longest, though there is some green apple too. 4.5
Total Score: 16 / 30
The palate is promising, but the slightly rubbery smoke present really doesn’t do any favours for this dram.
A variety of cask types showing the influence of wood on the Ardbeg spirit. Whilst the American oak allows things to get really smoky, the two sherry casks offered the better overall experience for me. Ardbeg clearly have plenty of “experiments” going on with maturing spirit so who knows what bottling they will be used for in the future. But to get the component experience, a look behind the marketing curtain, a trip to the warehouse is always valuable.
Peak Whisky 