51,8°
Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay
American Oak Casks
Independent Bottling
By Elixir Distillers
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2023
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
And the last stage in the exploration of Port Askaig's new range is this 17-year-old, which is entirely new, and which will be available in limited annual editions. The first batch was matured very simply in American oak casks. This should allow the distillate to play its full part. The number of bottles produced is around 9,000, and the alcohol content is fairly high, but I'm not sure if it's a Cask Strength. At the time of writing, this 17yo doesn't seem to be on sale anywhere, at least I haven't found it. But it should be very soon.
Let's Taste It :
The iodine is very present, which is surprising considering the age of the juice, along with lemon and vanilla. It's ethereal, salty and chalky. The peat is more airy, as if it were unravelling, and gives way to a vaporous smoke. Nice woodiness. The palate is quite delicate, more on white fruits, juicy apples and pears, with a touch of peat and wood that gives a nice depth. The spices are fairly light, hardly noticeable. The finish is long, chocolatey, with notes of dried fig and earthiness. Not explosive, quite calm. Chestnuts, heather, a zest of lemon..
In Short,
It's very good, well-made and well-balanced. That said, I'm not sure about the relevance of this 17-year-old. What does it add to the brand? To the distillery's profile? I don't have an answer at the moment. Perhaps a future Batch with a more elaborate maturation will convince me. I note that there is a bit of Sherry in the 8yo, and none at all in the 17yo. Personally, I would have done the opposite, but I'm not a specialist either. The Sherry enhances the smoothness and roundness of Caol Ila, while the Bourbon brings out its iodine and maritime profile, which is best expressed with a young distillate. What's more, this 17yo is a bit pricey, so there must be something special about it to convince the thrifty buyer, and unfortunately I don't think that's the case. To sum up, this new range is not bad, but a little disappointing, with only the Cask Strength offering a real added value.
Score : 87
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Hawkwind - Silver Machine
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