100% Islay
The Fifth Edition
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
50% ABV (100 proof)
~$100 (sample provided)
Color: pale gold
Smell: light and floral for an Islay, with a lot of cracked black pepper - honestly, this reminds me more of a reposado tequila than anything else. Digging deeper, there is also light smoke and iodine, as well as cereal grains.
Taste: solid on the palate. It's slightly sweet on entry (cereal grain), and then the oak and pepper really take hold on the midpalate. It finishes crisp and vibrant with a kiss of smoke - again, I can't get reposado tequila off my mind.Overall: I thoroughly enjoyed this, and think it's good. Solid "B/B+" for me, but it's a reach at $100. It really is remarkable how tequila-like this is in terms of flavors (Herradura reposado, in my opinion).
