I know we have had a few of these threads in the past but I'm looking for something a bit more specific. My palate has recently undergone an adjustment and i now find myself enjoying the smoky, peaty Islay whiskies that I once found far too harsh, that said I still find the full on Laphroaig experience an acquired taste too far for me and i'm looking for something a little more toned down.
Ideally I'd like something that is aged a little 10-12 years maybe, Islay or similar with that distinct smoky taste but without tipping into TCP territory and about £40.
I have seen Bowmore which could tick all the boxes but some of the reviews are a little mixed, some say well balanced with smoke and sweet, others say they can't taste any smoke!
Any opinions or suggestions please STW.
Thanks.
If you've not had it before I would recommend a try of Big Peat - a blend of Islay malts:
https://www.douglaslaing.com/products/big-peat
Ledaig 10
Port Charlotte 10
Kilchoman Machir Bay or Sanaig
Talisker sky? Peated but a bit more delicate.
Caol Ila
Bowmore can be got cheap from superstores
Another one for Talisker Sky.
Don't forget the multipack of Cadbury Flakes 🥴
Caol Ila 12
👆 this.
Not Ardmore 12 nor the American oak from auchentoshen that would be my recommendations.
But then I'm Working my way through a west cork glengariff whiskey so what do I know.
You can tone down a whisky if you want to by the perfectly acceptable practice of adding a drop of water.
Bowmore can be got cheap from superstores
The Bowmore that can be picked up from supermarkets are very poor examples of what Bowmore can be. Bottled at 40% it looses a lot of flavour and texture. Laphroaig is the same. The cask strength examples of either really are worth the extra money.
For decent value smokey single malt I'd be looking at 10 year old Talisker or and indie bottled Ardmore. Something like this https://www.whiskybroker.co.uk/70cl-13yo-distilled-at-ardmore-distillery-c-1-p-345
The OP has just described the taste of Jura. Superstition is also worth a taste.
A whisky that I like that has a fair bit going on flavour wise but not as harsh as a peaty whisky is Scapa Glansa. I didn't pay £50 a bottle though. It is definitely worth a try if you see it in a pub.
Sums up Jura's taste quite well IMO
Light golden, yellow in colour, the nose is light clean and fresh, with a hint sea salt, almonds, and spice notes. On the palate it has light peaty notes, with fruit and spicy overtones with a sweet, peaty finish.
Jura 10 is £26 on Amazon.
if you were feeling flush, you could do worse than look at Derbyshire's Wire Works whisky. They have some nicely peaty/smokey ones.
Cadbury Flakes pack of 4 £1.50 at ASDA.
My favourite whisky at present is Bunnahabhain 12 year old, although it's quite gentle and sweet for an Islay.
I also like Toiteach a Dhà which is more smoky and deep in flavour.
I has a Bowmore, but it was from the distillery not supermarket if that makes any difference. It says a lot that I drunk it all...
Highland Park 12yo would be my go to, and I think would meet your description. Don’t go the 10yo though.
Can be found on offer for less than £40, but it’s thereabouts usually.
Lets be clear. Any whisky is good whisky. Except Glen Moray, that is vile.
Currently enjoying a ten year Glenmorangie tesco special, although I am sad to say it seems to be less nice than the 10 yo of yore, probably wont buy again. I had a 70 quid Glenmorangie special in January, was nice at 47% but nothing like the Glenlivet Elicit Still at 46%. Epic stuff and highly recommended at around 45 notes a bottle if you can get your hands on it.
For bang for buck the Ardmore lightly peated is very nice, currently on offer in tesco. Cheap and cheerful but very pleasant, great for the hipflask. Bunnahabhain Steersman was pretty good - possibly the one mat mentions?
General rule of thumb is to avoid the chill filter and go for the stronger 43% plus. Supermarkets seem to typically carry the weaker ones, exceptions obviously apply. I tend to prefer 10 yo to older, but I haven't drunk a great deal of west coasters so my experience is limited to highland/speyside
Any whisky is good whisky.
When was the last time you tried to work your way through a bottle of Teachers then?
Thats not whisky is it
Ailsa bay is available at £40 from Loch Fyne.
https://www.lochfynewhiskies.com/ailsa-bay-1-2
Delivery costs could be a lot though. It's very nice especially at that price.
Got a Tomatin 18 and Caol Ila Distillers Edition 2009 recently. The Caol Ila got destroyed in no time
Try some https://www.houseofmalt.co.uk/product/mac-talla-mara-islay-single-malt-whisky/
Islay but not TCP. Not chill filtered and no added colour. Cask strength (58%) so best to add a bit of water, makes the price more reasonable.
Very enjoyable.
Nowt wrong with glen moray
Lovely sherry cask finish on the shelf here.
But if you arrived in moray looking for a peated whisky you need to work on geography
Time to come back to this thread. Thanks to all of those who gave me some suggestions, based on those I tried to get a bottle of Caol Ila but unfortunately couldn't find it within budget, with postage it was going to be north of £60, so I cast my net a little wider, read a lot of reviews and finally settled on a bottle of Port Askaig 8 year old. Well it arrived yesterday and obviously I had to try a dram to make sure it was to my liking and it's bloody lovely, exactly what I was after, plenty of smoky peat flavours but not dominating, there's a cereal sweetness and tones of citrus in there as well. It's colouring free which makes it surprisingly pale, virtually the colour of white wine. I'm unsure who distills it as Port Askaig isn't a distillery and the distiller isn't named, save it's on Islay, some internet experts (for what their opinions are worth) seem to think it could be from Caol Ila but I don't have enough experience in this field to offer an opinion other than to say for £40 if you like a smoky single malt with a bit more nuance it's worth a try.
It’s colouring free which makes it surprisingly pale, virtually the colour of white wine.
On the back of a very nice Gordon and MacPhail bottling of Caol Ila that I picked up a while ago I now associate paler with betterer, makes the Talisker 10 sitting next to it on the shelf look virtually artificial!
This one.
Am sure I got it for cheaper than this in my local Co-Op, but nonetheless am tempted by another bottle...
I ordered a peaty Speyside 10 year old on Amazon. Non chill filtered. 46%
Benriach Smoky 10. Looked worth a punt at £34. Back up to £40 today so possibly not at that price.
More of a bourbon fan, Woodfordes Double Oaked & Larceny are my staples
Bunnahabhain 12 year old
+1
My god. I just googled a cheap Islay-type whiskey I recently tried from Lidl to see what the professionals had to say about it. I thought wine tasters were pretentious but I can't believe what I have just read....
"Colour: Burnt amber leaning into copper.
On the nose: A subtle start. It’s a little timid and takes its time to pluck up the courage to come out and say “hello.” I’m not sure why but I was expecting a bolder first impression. Immediate notes of dried tea, shy at first, grow more muscular and become more confidently lapsang souchong. The peat smoke is present but not dominant, playing nicely with figs and dried apricots. The fruity notes evolve into toasted banana bread, whilst sooty tobacco ash lurks in the background at all times.
In the mouth: More lapsang souchong and white pepper, but again it’s a little timid. A leathery medicinal texture is also present, but folded under the smokiness of the tea. Like sucking a smoker’s finger after it’s been washed with carbolic soap… as one does. The sweeter side starts to develop with time; bonfire toffee and stewed green apples join the party to round things out and add to the overarching wintriness of the experience. The finish defies expectations and lingers pleasantly.
Conclusions:<br />A well-crafted and easy-drinking whisky that ultimately left me wanting more. Maybe it’s the chill filtration, but it felt a little underpowered and slightly frail. Each note is full of promise, and everything builds nicely, but somehow never quite reaches the promised land. That’s not to say this is by any means a bad whisky, just that it could have been really special."
Maybe I should review gels in the style of whisky tasting notes.
Like sucking a smoker’s finger after it’s been washed with carbolic soap… as one does.
Ha! I like this writer.
Was that a summary of Laphroaig ? Seems about right.
Little late to the party, but as a slightly quirky option, I currently have a bottle of Aerolite Lyndsay on the go, really enjoying it:
Something a bit different (and cheap).
I thought I'd try a bottle of this on for £18 at Lidl, having seen it'd got some good press for winning awards (or something).
It is indeed an excellent dram, very rich and well-balanced.
More like sucking a smoker's finger after they've been eating a caramel egg - if you want that comparison.
Would recommend.
@chakaping that is a staple in my house, I'm never without a bottle, though I use it for mixing a whisky Mac, for Christmas I was after a slightly posher single malt.
for Christmas I was after a slightly posher single malt.
Ardbeg 10 is my go-to affordable treat whisky. And my favourite single malt generally.
I have been drinking Talisker for the last few years. I completed the WHW this year and I managed to try a few different ones and the one that I enjoyed the most was Glengoyne, very nice.
I’ve opened a bottle of Floki tonight. Dear lord it makes laphroig taste like Vimto. It’s the smokiest thing I’ve ever tasted. More testing required I think!