59,4°
Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay
75% Refill American Oak Hogsheads and 25% 1st Fill Toasted Bourbon Barrels
Independent Bottling
By Elixir Distillers
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength
Yes, Port Askaig is launching a new range this year. It's always a difficult time when a range you like disappears, and you know you'll have to scour the auction sites and pay outrageous prices to rediscover the taste that was once familiar. And newness never consoles us for what we've lost. First of all, the famous 100° Proof will be replaced by this Cask Strength, which will now be available in limited annual editions, and apparently the maturations will be different. Each Batch will be drawn from around sixty casks, making around 10,000 bottles with Small Batch casks. This first Batch underwent a relatively classic maturation, dominated by American and Bourbon casks. The main advantage over the 100° Proof is that this time it is a true Cask Strength bottling.
Let's Taste It :
Iodine, sea spray, vanilla. White fruits mingle with the maritime profile. Vanilla cream and a dash of salt, rock, sediment. Full-bodied peat, a little ashy. Waves whip the face. Same formula on the palate, with a lovely creamy vanilla that tempers the harshness of the young Caol Ila profile. It's quite mineral, with spices like nutmeg and cumin that add rhythm. Almost sparkling. Sufficiently long finish, with a nice saltiness. The iodine returns. Nicely controlled explosiveness. Pastry cream at the very end.
In Short,
I liked 100° Proof, but I have to admit that this one is better. It more closely reproduces the authenticity of Caol Ila's character. And at the same time it's not too harsh, it's harmonious. It's good work, and we'd expect nothing less from Oliver Chilton, Elixir Distillers' Master Blender. What's more, the price is right. It's not the bargain of the century, but let's just say it's worth buying.
Score : 87
To Be Listened While Sipping :
The Kills - No Wow
No comments:
Post a Comment