August 2019 - Two Blends and an Exclusive

This will be a shorter write-up than normal as I was away on holiday and forgot to delegate note-taking duties! Needless to say I felt suitably left out from one of these in particular…

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1. The Six Isles

• 43.0% ABV

• 70cl

• RRP: £28.67 (Master of Malt, Amazon)

With six full-bodied single malts in every bottle – Islay, Jura, Skye, Mull, Orkney and Arran – The Six Isles captures every distinctive style and flavour. Bottled the traditional way, the spirit is natural in colour and un chill-filtered

Tasting Notes (The Distiller):

Nose: A mixed bag of aromas: salt, seaweed, peat, honey, tar, and even a touch of heather.

Palate:  On the oily side and includes malt, citrus, and peat on the back end with notes of iodine running through.

Finish: Bitter and smoke filled.

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2. Mars Maltage Cosmo

• 43.0% ABV

• 70cl

• RRP: £59.95 (Master of Malt)

Mars Maltage Cosmo is a blended malt featuring whisky from the little-known Japanese distillery Shinshu, as well as whiskies from undisclosed Scottish distilleries. An intriguing expression...

Tasting Notes

Nose: Soft vanilla notes up front, joined by sweet red fruit (think cherry and sugary raspberry). Palate: Orange oil and chocolate, fresh barley and toasty oak. Finish: Fresh plum and white grape. Cereals and chocolate biscuits.

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3. Caol Ila 22-Year Old (Feis Ile 2019)

• 58.4% ABV

• 70cl

• RRP: £130.00 (Feis Ile 2019 Exclusive) At time of writing retailing on the reseller market at £349.00 (oldandrarewhisky.co.uk)

A 22-year-old single malt fully matured in Sherry-treated American oak hogsheads, bottled at a cask strength of 58.4% abv. Pierrick Guilaume, Caol Ila distillery manager, said: ‘We’ve taken the usual complexity of Caol Ila and used the cask influence to balance this, creating something really unique from our distillery.’ 1 of 3,000 bottles.

Tasting Notes (Master of Malt):

Nose: fresh mint, citrus, spicy medicinal notes. Minerals with subtle sherry influence, mature wood smoke, and cured meat. Hints of seaweed, a whiff of strawberry, paprika Palate: Sweet and rich fruitiness, oily. Hints of smoked bacon, maple syrup and wood smoke, but also leather, tar and iodine, and salt Finish: Lingering spices, yet subtle

Obviously this one was the one I was gutted to miss out on!