Islay, is located off the West coast, and has eight distilleries scattered across this small island. With a very distinctive, heavily peated style, these smoky whiskies are not easy to forget, and have achieved somewhat of a cult status among whisky lovers.
Bowmore 9 Year Old Sherry Cask is the latest addition to the Islay favourite's core range. This entry-level whisky has spent all of its life maturing in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, resulting in Bowmore's distinctive smokiness.
Finished in Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes casks, this has all the expected Bruichladdich characteristics - seaspray, brine, floral notes - with a deliciously smooth extra veneer of sweetness. A deservedly popular 'Laddie.
A half-bottle of Bowmore's 12-year-old whisky, a great place to start year oldur journey through the smoky mystery of Islay's single malt whiskies. The current 12 year old bottling is a welcome return to the classic Bowmores of the 1960s and '70s, with the emphasis on tropical fruit and smoke. A deserved runner-up in our Whisky of the Year 2014-15 blind tasting.
A half bottle of Bowmore's sherry finished 15 year old. It's finished for three years in oloroso sherry casks for rich, chocolatey and spicy flavour along with Bowmore's trademark maritime peatiness.
Laphroaig Select is aged in a combination of Oloroso sherry butts, American white oak (we suspect some of this is virgin oak), hogsheads seasoned with Pedro Ximenez, quarter casks and first fill bourbon casks. This results in a restrained and toned down version of this Islay classic.
Bowmore's Small Batch is matured in first and second fill ex bourbon casks, resulting in a sweet, spicy and smoky whisky. This is a lighter example of Bowmore and an excellent starting point for Islay whiskies.
The new presentation of an old Bowmore favourite, the no-age-statement Legend.
A gift pack containg a bottle of Bruichladdich's The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley and a pair of glasses. It is made entirely from Scottish-grown barley, trickle distilled and then matured in American oak. The distillery class it as the signature bottling. This has an enticing mix of creaminess and salinity.
This 2004 vintage Caol Ila has been selected by The Whisky Exchange from stocks owned by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail and bottled as part of the Reserve Series. Aged in a first-fill bourbon barrel, this is rich, fruity and smoky.
A 1999 vintage Caol Ila bottled by The Whisky Trail in 2011. Briny smoke, like a bonfire on the beach, medium-bodied with a slightly spicy finish - a great session whisky.
The fourth release in Bowmore's Tempest series, taking a small batch of first-fill bourbon casks and marrying them before bottling at cask strength. A classic example of relatively young and fully flavoured Bowmore.
Bowmore Gold Reef was released for the travel retail market in 2014. A No Age Statement whisky that was matured predominantly in first fill ex-bourbon casks, this is a coastal whisky with tropical fruit flavours.
Initially released for travel retail, this release from Bruichladdich is made entirely with organic Scottish-grown barley. Rich in texture with an underlying sweetness and notes of honey, almond and pear.
The Vault Editions from Bowmore is a four-part series of whiskies that highlight one characteristic of the distillery's style. The first release is named Atlantic Sea Salt and focuses on Bowmore's maritime style, while displaying its classic smoky and fruity nature.
A long-awaited whisky from Bruichladdich - a 10 year old comprising solely of unpeated spirit produced since Murray McDavid took over the distillery at the turn of the century. A landmark in their production and the beginning of a new age for the distillery. Notes of gingerbread, honey and sultanas.
An Cuan Mor (Gaelic for 'big ocean') is a travel retail bottling of Laphroaig. Aged in first-fill American white oak bourbon barrels, it is finished in European oak. Rich and spicy with a maritime character.
The 2001 vintage of Caol Ila's entry in Diageo's Distillers Edition range, taking their regular smoky malt and finishing it in sweet Moscatel-wine casks for an extra depth of sweetness.
The middle entry in Bruichladdich's revitalised line-up, sitting between the 10 and 22 to provide a bourbon-cask-focused slice of unpeated Islay whisky.
The sixth release of Tempest – Bowmore’s cask-strength 10-year-old. Aged in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, the emphasis is on tropical-fruit character. A peaty, smoky and fruity dram with great balance.
One of the best ongoing bottlings from this great distillery. This is more lightly peated, allowing its fresh, coastal maritime character to shine through. This is a real gem.
2013's unpeated release of Caol Ila is named for distillery manager Billy Stitchell, who is retiring after almost 40 years at the distillery. This year it's been bottled without an age statement and despite being 'unpeated' there's a definite smoky tang to the whisky, although less so than in previous years.
The third of the first three whiskies to appear in Bruichladdich's Cuvee range - Eroica, subtitled 'Oh mensch! Gieb acht! Was spricht die tiefe mitternacht?', the opening line from a song in Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. It's an American oak matured whisky finished in Limousin oak that once held brandy.
The 2017 release for Ardbeg Day is Kelpie. A combination whiskies aged in virgin Black-Sea oak casks and bourbon barrels, this is rich and intense with notes of pepper, treacle toffee, Turkish coffee, dark chocolate and smoky bacon.
An old bottling of Bowmore 12 year old. This looks to have been bottled sometime in the 1990s and has a wonderful screen printed label.
An 8 year old whisky bottled in 1995 to celebrate Morrison-Bowmore winning the first ever IWSC Best Distiller award. It's a vatting of whiskies from Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch.
An old Bowmore gift set containing a bottle of their 10 year old and a Bowmore branded tumbler. We estimate this pack dates from the 1980s.
The 12th release of 12 year old Lagavulin from Diageo's Special Releases range. A perennial favourite, balancing price against a punchy cask strength edition of whisky from one of Islay's most mysterious distilleries.
The 13th release of Lagavulin 12 year old from Diageo's Special Releases range. A longstanding favourite, this was the biggest and most fully flavoured of the 2013 lineup, and could well be the best 12yo yet.
A combination of classic and new Bruichladdich, at release the oldest in the distillery's revitalised range of unpeated Islay whiskies.
Lagavulin 12 year old is always one of the most anticipated bottlings in Diageo's Special Releases. As before, this is a full strength bottling from American oak casks.
The 2009 release of cask-strength Lagavulin 12 year old is a simply superb bottling. One of the highlights of this year's Special Releases, this will delight fans of the distillery.
As reliably excellent as ever, the 2011 Special Releases Lagavulin 12 year old was distilled in 1999 and vatted from refill American oak casks. As year oldu'd expect, this is a very upfront, sooty-sweet Lagavulin in the classic style.
Zesty oak and warm peat smoke top notes, with sweet undertones, reminiscent of fresh nutmeg and toasted almonds. Faintly salty. Laphroaig 15 year old is a smoother and more elegant elder sibling to the robust 10 year-old.
One of the most anticipated releases of 2014 – the second edition of Bowmore Devil's Casks. A fully sherry matured whisky from the capital of Islay, this is slightly sweeter than the first batch, but just as delicious.
This limited-edition ceramic decanter of 10-year-old Bowmore was released for the Garden Festival in Gateshead which took place between 18 May and 21 October 1990.
Long-aged Caol Ila can be excellent, and this is one of the best we've tried. With age, the smokiness of the whisky softens, revealing layers of fruit, gentle spice and elegance. A cracking dram, selected by and exclusively bottled for The Whisky Exchange. This was awarded 88 points by Serge Valentin of whiskyfun.com
The 4th edition in Bruichladdich's DNA series, digging into the heart and soul of the distillery's character. This time it's from 1985 and has been aged for 27 years before cask selection and bottling.
The third edition in Bruichladdich's DNA series, examining the component parts that make the distillery's whiskies tick. This one marries together some of their best casks of the 1980s - their final batch of sherry butts. Bottled at cask strength and limited to only 1665 bottles, this is one for all fans and collectors of Bruichladdich.
A rare independent release of Lagavulin, bottled in 2004 for The Syndicate, which seems from the back label to be a group of five guys, in Bruichladdich's bottling hall.
An old bottling of 26 year old Bruichladdich released by then owners Whyte & Mackay as part of their Stillman's Dram series of bottlings.
An old bottling of 26 year old Bruichladdich released by then owners Whyte & Mackay as part of their Stillman's Dram series of bottlings.
This is the 2010 version of Ardbeg Supernova, and no doubt will be hoping to follow on from the success of last year's edition, which scooped Scotch Whisky of the Year from Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2010.
An old bottling of 21 year old Bruichladdich. From the style of packaging we estimate this dates from the late 1980s or early 1990s.
A much anticipated release from Bowmore, The Devil's Casks is a small batch 2013 release of 10 year old whisky aged entirely in first fill sherry casks. The delicious combination of peated whisky and sherry wood maturation strikes again.
A special bottling of Bruichladdich to celebrate the distillery's centenary in 1981. Bottled at 15 years old, this is presented in a beautifully shaped decanter and accompanying damaged box.
The 2013 bottling of Laphroaig's highly lauded 25 year old. Matured in a combination of Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon barrels, both of which were first-filled. After a quarter of a century of ageing, it as bottled at cask strength.
The travel exclusive Laphroaig 20 year old Double Cask, matured for 18 years in bourbon hogsheads and finished for 2 years in Laphroaig's bespoke quarter casks.
A stunning 1983 vintage Caol Ila released at 30 years of age as part of Diageo's 2014 Special Releases. Aged in a combination of refill American and refill European oak, this is reminiscent of a cross between Brora and Port Ellen, combining the waxiness of the former with the chamois leather note of the latter.
A very special Bruichladdich Valinch 1970, bottled at full strength from a bourbon cask to celebrate the first distillation of the re-opening of the distillery in May 2001.
This Bruichladdich Valinch is a single cask release of 1970 vintage whisky. Bottled to celebrate the first distillation of the re-opened Bruichladdich Distillery in May 2001. Bottled at cask strength and limited to just 250 bottles.
A 1970 vintage Bruichladdich as part of the Valinch label. This is the name given to the 'fill your own bottles' obtained on the distillery tour and rarely come on to the market. This one comes from cask 5085 and was bottled not long after the turn of the millennium.
A litre bottle of Ardbeg 17 Year Old. A tad less peaty than early bottlings, this is still a great whisky, but is sadly becoming very thin on the ground as demand increases and supply runs low - it's now a good few years since owners Glenmorangie discontinued it. The first bottling of this sparked the revival of Ardbeg's fortunes after the takeover by Glenmorangie.
This 1974-vintage Ardbeg was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 1994 as part of the Spirit of Scotland series to commemorate 500 years of Scotch whisky.
A big cask strength Caol Ila released as part of Diageo's Rare Malts series. Distilled in 1978 and released at the turn of the millenium at a eye-watering 61.7% ABV.
A rare commemorative bottling of Bowmore released to commemorate the 2003 fly fishing championships on Islay. Only a small number of bottles, with their wooden display case, were produced and this is sought after by collectors.
An unboxed version of an official release of single cask Bowmore, distilled in August 1980 and bottled in July 2004 at cask strength. This is presented with a replica-copper still decanter, embossed with a name plate featuring the bottle number.
An official release of single cask Bowmore, distilled in August 1980 and bottled in July 2004 at cask strength. What's more, it comes with a rather nifty replica copper still decanter, embossed with a name plate featuring the bottle number.
A 'Very Old' bottling of 30 year old Ardbeg with the old-style black label. Supplied without its wooden box.
At 25 years old this whisky embodies the richness, depth and sweetness of all Ardbegs. Light gold in colour and powerful in character. A phenomenal, much-sought-after bottling of a really outstanding malt.
Part of Bowmore's tradition of commemorating Scottish sporting events with limited-edition special bottlings, this one is in honour of the 2001 international horse trials at Blair Castle.
A 20 year old Caol Ila bottled by the distillery to celebrate their 150th birthday in 1996.
Lagavulin is probably Diageo's most highly-rated distillery, with its muscular peaty presence and flashes of honey sending most of the cognoscenti into a swoon. This 15yo from 1993 is probably the most eagerly-awaited of the Managers' Choice series, particularly as it's one of only a handful of sherried single cask Lagavulins ever released.
An independent bottling of 1966 Caol Ila from Gordon & Macphail released as part of the Centenary celebrations. Distilled in 1966 and matured for 29 years in a sherry cask.
A very special Bowmore from a hogshead filled on August 9th 1980, the day that Queen Elizabeth II visited the distillery. Cask #5774 was acquired by Jim Howat, then Chairman of Morrison Bowmore and was left in his will to the JTH Charitable Trust he created with his wife Christine. Designed and bottled in 2011 by Morrison Bowmore as a special limited edition for the charitable trust yielding 156 bottles at a natural strength of 46.7%.
An incredibly rare bottle of 1973 Bowmore, produced in 2001. This was never commercially sold, but was given to attendees of a dinner held at Blair Castle to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of Stanley P Morrison Limited, Bowmore's then owners. An exceptional collector's item.
From the now-defunct vintage series from Bowmore comes this sherry-cask-aged 1973 vintage, which we estimate was bottled in the 1980s.
Bottled for the Feis Ile in 2006, this rare Ardbeg 1975 was matured in a single Fino sherry cask.
A 1969 Bowmore by Douglas Laing, as part of their Old Malt Cask series. This has been aged for 31 years, and bottled March 2001.
The oldest-ever release from the distillery, this 37 year old was part of Diageo's 2013 Special Releases. A mix of European and American oak, it has depth and incredible intensity for such an old Islay whisky.
© 2020 Whisky Buys