Which "Lighter Side of Islay"

[whiskeyme]

I have a few mainland Scotches and I enjoy the great flavors (usually fruity). But I also enjoy the smokey peaty, earthy, iodine-y, briny, grassy flavors in the Laphraoig 10 & Lagavulin 16. I had heard of Bruchladdich and Bunnahabhain being the "lighter side of Islay," incorporating some fruity notes of the mainland whiskies and some sea side notes of Islay. Well, that really didn't sound good to me so I was never interested. My brother picked up Bruichladdich Rocks on a whim and he didn't care for it. I tried it. Yup, berried flavors and some briney sea notes....and I liked it :bigeyes:. In fact, I offered him a trade for a whiskey I had but didn't care for. Now, I'm intrigued with "the lighter side of Islay" and would like to try a different expression. Here's what I'm considering (what's available in my area):

Bruichladdich 15 Year, 2nd edition. It's got some good reviews, but a recent post here about it makes me wonder.

Bruichladdich 14 Year Links Turnberry: Good reviews. Any experience?

Bunnahabhain 12 Year: Again, decent ratings. Any experience?

[Sijan]

I like the Bunnahabhain 12 and Bruichladdich 10 (now discontinued).

I also think of the Bowmore 12 as being a pretty light and enjoyable Islay malt.

(I'm also the one who wasn't too fond of the 'laddie 15SE.)

I think the Malt Maniacs Malt Matrix is a great resource for aggregated/consensus ratings of single malts: http://www.whiskyfun.com/MaltManiacsMatrix.pdf

[whiskeyme]

Can you throw a few tasting notes of the Bunnahabhain 12 at me?

[AVB]

Here is my review of it back in 04/04

[melting]

I couldn't give you a set of tasting notes, but I would recommend trying the

Bunnahabhain. I purchased a bottle of this maybe a month or so ago when it was on sale. Yes, it's a little lighter but quite enjoyable in it's own right. You can't go wrong with the Bowmore 12 either for the price. The bowmore legend is another good pour. I'm sure that it's quite young but at around $20 it's worth a try.

Take the tasting notes as a very broad guideline if you would. Experiment alot and really get to know what's out there. Especially if you have an "out" for the bottles you don't really care for.

Chris

[Sijan]

At your request...poured a dram just now.

Bunnahabhain 12

Nose: Sweet sherry notes. Light floral/heather & honey notes. Orange marmalade? Slightly salty. Can just barely smell something malty and nutty and maybe something a little musty/peaty lurking underneath there...these heavier notes develop a bit more as it gets more air, although the peat is still pretty subdued.

Palate: Nutty. Malt flavors. Light peat. Sherry influence apparent, but less so than on the nose. Has some body to it. Quite smooth.

Finish: Evolves quite a bit. Turns slightly bitter for a while with a little peaty rubber finally taking hold (but gently). Some bitter orange notes. Dessert spices? Lingers for 30+ seconds. Quite drying by the end.

Overall: Quite the enjoyable dram, fairly complex, very drinkable. Not at all like a typical heavily peated Islay malt.

[Jazzhead]

My bottle's long gone, but I very much enjoyed the 'Laddie 10 and highly recommend it. Another single malt of a similar character - mostly Highland-style fruity but with a hint of sea air - is Old Pulteney. It's also modestly priced considering the quality.

[Sijan]

I've been considering picking up some of the Old Pulteney. I like the malts with a marine influence.

[AVB]

I did a review of that here but you know it is a northern highland malt right?

I've been considering picking up some of the Old Pulteney. I like the malts with a marine influence.

[Sijan]

Yup. Right on the coast, though. I like Clynelish and Highland Park, so I figure I'll like it.

[TNbourbon]

I like Coal Ila as a light-ish Islay.

[mier]

I like Coal Ila as a light-ish Islay.

I agree fully with you but i also admire Port Ellen for being light-ish.Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhainn are good whiskies on their own,i have some rare bottlings which i seldom drink but they are not what i like in an Islay(i don`t say they are bad),i just appreciate them not too much.

Eric.

[drunkenjayhawk]

I would tend to agree with that. I generally reach for Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bowmore or Laphroaig before the other lighter Islays.

[drrich1965]

I agree fully with you but i also admire Port Ellen for being light-ish.Bruichladdich and Bunnahabhainn are good whiskies on their own,i have some rare bottlings which i seldom drink but they are not what i like in an Islay(i don`t say they are bad),i just appreciate them not too much.

Eric.

I have had 9 Port Ellens, and while most are a bit lighter in body, they are not overall what I would call light. Powerful white peper peat, very distinctive. The best ones have a bit of sweetness to for balance, and perhaps just a hint of oilyness for body. Port Ellen was lost as the owner thought Caol Ila would be a good replacment for blends-far more efficient than the PE distillery. They are distinct, of course, but but I would say medium in peat, and medium in body compared to some of the more brooding Islays.

Gentle? I like the Laddie 10 a great deal, and am now finishing a 20 year old Flirtation. Great for its discounted price, but Laddie is a bit overpriced in my book...

Banna 12 is a very nice dram- I am loving the 9yo peaty version from Signatory..very buttery, if you can imagine that...

Also, I will put in a plug for the 6-9 year old independent bottelings of Laphy, Ardbeg, Bowmore, or Caol Ila. The brightness of them is a thing of wonder...not for the feint of heart, however....

[Tracy Hightower]

Hi Dan and others,

You guys seem to know what you are talking about regarding Scotch so I have a question.

I have little or no experience with Scotch. A few nights ago a friend called and said he had been given a bottle of Lagavulin Single Islay malt 1991 Distillers Edition Scotch and thought I might like to try it with him.

I do not have the experience to give a classy reveiw as Dan has so eloquently done so I will simply describe it as best I can.

The first thing I noticed was the strong scent of what I can only describe as "camp fire smoke" . At first it was not unpleasant but strong. The first taste translated that scent to my taste buds or I am trying to say that it tasted like the scent should have tased to my mind. It was smooth all the way through with no burn but the smoky taste remained. As it disipated the finish was quite pleasant and I kiked it a lot.

The problem. The more I drank it, the more the camp fire smoke taste and smell became unpleasant untill I could no longer stand to swallow it and had to stop. I really did like the finish and the lack of alcohol burn and it was very warming as well but was suprised and dissapointed in my reaction to the smoky taste.

My question. Is this smoky flavor consistant with all Scotch or just Islay Scotch or simply this particular scotch. I would like to broaden my horizons but I really do not think that I can drink anything else with that taste and smell and as I said I am suprised and dissapointed at my strong reaction to it.

Your input would be appreciated.

[AVB]

Being one of the "Others" I'll answer your question. Lagavulin is well known for the flavors you mentioned as are a few other of the Islay malts. This comes from drying the maltings with a peat fire. The slower the drying the more peat flavor is imparted to the malt.

While Islay Scotch is known for it's peatiness most other scotch is dried with natural gas and so does not have that style of flavoring. I've always recommended the Balvenie DoubleWood, Dalmore 12, or Aberlour 15 (now 16), as good scotch to start out with as the Lagauvilns, Laphroaigs and Caol Ilas of the world take a bit of getting used to for most people.

[whiskeyme]

Tracy,

I'm a big Single Malt Scotch guy, 21 bottles in my collection :cool:. AVB gives good advice. One thing that's great about Scotch is that a Scotch distilled and aged in one region can taste nearly completely different than one distilled and aged in another.

I have Lagavulin 16, and I like it very much. But Islay is an acquired taste. Had I tried as my first Scotch, I doubt that I would have ever bought a bottle of any Scotch.

A good example of a typical Single Malt Scotch IMO is The Balvenie 10 YO. Can't go wrong with Balvenie 12 YO Double Wood, Dalmore 12, Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12. A particular expression that I have introduced many to Single Malt Scotch is the Glenfiddich 15 Year Solera Reserve (only about $40-45). Great stuff, and those not accostomed to Scotch sure seem to like it. My .02

[Tracy Hightower]

Guys, I appreciate the info and am so glad to hear that the smokiness is not charachteristic of all Scotches. I did have a very strong reaction to that flavor and smell and there is only one thing I can compare it to.

Having been born and raised on the Texas Gulf coast, I have ALWAYS loved raw oysters. Last year, I had a bad batch and I have not been able to eat one since. That is how strong a reaction I had and it is very dissapointing so your suggestions and advice is encouraging and appreciated.

Thanks Again!

[Sijan]

Tracy,

As the other mentioned, the "camp smoke flavor" you describe is smoked peat. It is generally only found in large amounts in Islay malts, and a few other island scotches (e.g., Talisker, and to a lesser extent, Highland Park.)

A lot of people have that reaction to heavily peated whiskeys at first - I even did my first time drinking one. I think it's an acquired taste. I quite enjoy those flavors now, and Islay and island malts are among my favorite whiskeys. But I wouldn't want to experience them all the time.

As the others have mentioned, there are many other styles of scotch that are unpeated or only very lightly peated. You should be pretty safe with most Highland, Speyside, and Lowland scotches. I would recommend trying something like Glenmorangie 10 year (aka "The Original" in the new packaging) or the Dalmore 12 year. These are both going to be a bit sweet and with "butterscotch" flavors that you're likely familiar with. Prob a good place to start for a bourbon drinker.

If you're looking for something with pretty mild, light, subtle flavors, I'd recommend The Glenlivet 12 Year Old or anything from the Lowland distilleries (Glenkinchie 10 yr probably being the easiest to find.)

You can usually find minis of The Glenlivet at most liquor stores. You may also be able to find a three-pack of Glenfiddich minis, which will include the Glenfiddich 15 year Solera Reserve mentioned above. It looks like this:

And if you're lucky, you might find a pack of 6 minis called the Classic Malts of Scotland. You won't like two of them just yet (the Lagavulin, and the Talisker) so set those aside for now, but you'll probably enjoy the other four. It looks like this:

[Tracy Hightower]

Thanks Dan,

That looks like the way to go to taste a variety without breaking the bank or wasting a Whisley that I will not finish. I appreciate it and will look for the set.

Thanks.

[Sijan]

The Classic Malts of Scotland mini set may be hard to find, depending on what's in your area. The Classic Malts of Scotland series is still going strong (and expanding), but I think the mini set may have been discontinued a few years ago. Anyone have further info? I got mine up in the Boston area but still see them occasionally in DC.

[Tracy Hightower]

Did a breif google for them and found them across the big pond quite a bit but will do a more in depth search when time allows.

Thanks again Dan!

[Sijan]

I think I know of a store in DC that still has them, but I recall their price being $40 for the box, which seems pretty steep to me for 300ml of whiskey. (I realize one can't expect to get the same price ratio from minis as a 750ml bottle.) I don't know what it is going for elsehere, and don't really remember what I paid for mine back when I got it up in Boston.

Tracy, if you can't find it anywhere else, I may be able to talk the guy down to $35 and ship it to you. But you may want to see if any of your local stores (particularly ones with dusties) have it first.

[Sijan]

A place in Athens, GA apparently has them for $29.99

http://www.fivepointsbottleshop.com/products/pid/27572.aspx

[Stu]

I may be new to bourbon, but I feel well qualified to weigh in on scotch, especially malts. I currently have 59 expressions from 34 distilleries open. the most I ever had was 96 expressions from 64 distilleries.

I won't try to add to the tasting notes previously given, because they were all excellent.

Lagavulin is by far the smokiest of all malts. It may not have the peatiness of Laphroaig or Ardbeg, and it definitely lacks the iodine and seaweed hints of Laphroaig, but it is always smoky. IMO the distiller's edition is a touch more smoky than the 16.

AVB hit the nail on the head on the descriptions of both Bunnahabain and Old Pultney. I usually refer to Bunnahabain as "the island highland". Dalmore 12 and Old Pultney are, IMO, the best price/quality values available.

I take exception to the strict classification of malts by region. On the South side of Islay are three distilleries within walking distance of each other that give Islay whisky it's definition: Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg. Caol Ila has these characteristics to a lesser extent, and IMO is the saltiest of all malts. However Talisker, Clynelish, and Brora fit more with the South Islay whiskys than Bruichladdich or Bunnahabain. Further they are totally different from some of their highland neighbors like Glenmorangie, Dalmore, Teanich, and Glen Ord (and the four of them have vast differences).

IMO one of the best guides to malts is Whisky Classified by David Wishart. I'm not sure if it's available in the US. David is an Economics Professor (but we won't hold that against him) at Edinburgh University and a devoted malt drinker. He classifies malts by their flavor characteristics rather than the location of their distillery. I've seen a similar book in the US, but I can't recall who wrote it, maybe Jim Murray? It definitely wasn't Michael Jackson.

This is the longest post I've ever made on this site, I'd better close.

Stu