15 November 2024.
A bit of history :
The Port Askaig brand was created by the Singh brothers, who own The Whisky Exchange, the independent bottling company Elixir Distillers (which was called Speciality Drinks before 2017), and the Tormore distillery, which was bought from Pernod-Ricard in 2022. Port Askaig is a small village on the Isle of Islay, located to the south of the Caol Ila distillery. As you might expect, the Port Askaig brand will be an opportunity to showcase Caol Ila's products, even if not all Port Askaig bottlings are Caol Ila. There are reputedly a few from Bunnahabhain, but that's all officially secret, of course. This brand was born in 2009, with a Cask Strength, a 17 year old, a 25 year old and a 30 year old. Then came the expressions that would become the brand's flagships, the 100° Proof in 2015, and the 8-year-old in 2016. It became a household name, and some even thought it was a distillery in its own right. Each year, a number of limited editions were launched, some of them very interesting.
Then, in 2023, the Singh brothers launched a complete overhaul of the brand. The 100° Proof disappeared, to be replaced by a Cask Strength, which would be available in new batches each year. The 8-year-old was completely redesigned, with a different maturation, and a 17-year-old appeared, which would now be part of the Core Range, along with the two expressions mentioned above.
To be honest, I had mixed feelings when I discovered these new expressions. The Cask Strength seemed better than the 100° Proof, but the new 8yo didn't seem as good as the old one, and the 17yo was of limited interest to me.
The Line Up Concept :
It was at this point that the idea of a Line Up dedicated to Port Askaig was born, which would be devoted not to the new releases that I liked less, but to the old Port Askaig, the ones that created the event before the 2023 redesign simplified everything. To give you an idea, in 2023, 4 limited editions were launched, in addition to the 3 new expressions of the Core Range. And the following two years, nothing, or almost nothing. A single limited edition in 2024, and a new Cask Strength Batch. In 2025, two limited editions for the time being. Clearly, this wasn't just a re-branding, it was a sort of sidelining.
So I'd like to explore the Port Askaig of the days when this brand was the talk of the town, alongside some of the Single Casks. Some bottlings were popular, even sought-after, and sold out fairly quickly. This is no longer the case. The recent limited editions are old (15 or 25 years) and expensive, and enthusiasts know that value for money is not very attractive at this level.
The Tasting :
Port Askaig 8yo Old Version : It appeared in 2016 and disappeared in 2023. At that time it was matured entirely in Bourbon casks, whereas the current 8yo is matured in a number of Sherry casks.
Airy iodine, with a hint of vanilla, honey and icing sugar. Oysters and scallops. Light but unctuous palate, with some seaweed and seafood. Long, ashy finish, with walnuts and white fruit. Score: 86
Port Askaig 2004 Bourbon Cask 14yo : It's a limited edition launched in 2018. It was rumoured to be Bunnahabhain, and I think it is. At the time, connoisseurs thought it was a good ratio of age to price.
Beautifully nuanced, mellow nose, marzipan, resin, waxy smoke. Quince jam, melting caramel. A little disappointing on the palate, not very expressive, despite spices and nuts. The finish is pleasant but a little short, with cake batter, sponge cake and filled biscuits. Score: 86
Port Askaig 1983 34yo : Sometimes Port Askaig would bring out antiques like this. They even released a 45 year old. This one is from early 2019, it's a Single Cask, and it's a Caol Ila.
The nose is just perfect, between fruit paste, stuffed fig, waxy smoke, semi-salted butter, glazed chestnuts, hints of salt and honey. Glints of soot, quince topped with caramel. Old waxed wood. Mirabelle plums. The palate is full of fruit, dates, apricots, chestnut purée, delicate oak and powerful spices. Long, even interminable finish, cola, duck confit, dried banana, liquorice. Score : 91
Port Askaig 10th Anniversary 10yo : This one was released in 2019, it was a limited edition of 10,000 bottles, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the brand. Rumours have been rife about the distillery of origin, but I'm willing to bet it's a Caol Ila.
It's the usual profile of iodine, foam and rock, but with hints of honey and fruit. Subtle caramel and chocolate. A hint of lemon. On the palate, oily oysters, honeyed vanilla, with a good dose of peat, intense spices. Long, powerful finish, warm chestnuts, oak bark, cola and toffee, deep oak. Score: 88
Delicate woodiness, with chocolate cake batter, hot chestnuts, cigar ash, then you recognise the distillery's maritime profile, iodine, foam, sea breeze, kelp, but it's very balanced, vanilla and lemon, then a touch of meat. On the palate, the wood stands out, but also white fruit and honey, with lively spices. The finish is long and explosive, again very woody, but with a warm, friendly woodiness, caramel and resin, and a dash of aniseed. Score : 88
What I gain from it :
Port Askaig is first and foremost an ode to Caol Ila, or at least that's how I understood it. Almost all the bottlings of this brand are Caol Ila, in all its forms, Bourbon, but also Sherry or virgin cask. A tribute to this distillery that never disappoints. Of course, there may be forays into other distilleries, but this remains occasional, as the main aim is to make Caol Ila. But what for?
It's about making Caol Ila, but Caol Ila that's different from their usual Original Bottling range. Something more rustic, simpler, more inviting. Something that's easier to drink. In this regard, the 8 Year Old Version was just what was needed: a typical Caol Ila with plenty of iodine and limestone, mineral notes galore. When the distillery does its own bottling of Caol Ila, it makes subtle, measured blends. Even the Moch is relatively complex. The Caol Ila bottled by Port Askaig, on the other hand, is simpler, which is logical since the Singh brothers have less stock.
This gives Caol Ila a new patina, a different, more direct profile that connoisseurs will appreciate. First of all, there's the appeal of the price, then the appeal of greater strength, since it's more than the 43° preferred by the regular range. But above all, there's the appeal of a new vision of Caol Ila, something of what this distillery would be like if it were run by another group.
It's not better, but it's interesting, it's like discovering another facet of something you appreciate, and that you didn't suspect at first. And I fear that the new range will erase that.
Of course, you'd have to do a tasting of the new Port Askaig range, but I found the bottlings to be complex, nuanced and subtle, rather like the regular Caol Ila range. So what's the point? Price? Competition is now fierce, and prices are no longer really advantageous compared with the original bottlings.
Conclusion : This is just my personal opinion, but if it's just to make a slightly less good Caol Ila, what's the point of this Port Askaig brand? The old range, as I've highlighted it here, had real appeal. It was more rustic, a bit like Caol Ila revisited by Brora, an old school Caol Ila, but also more experimental. What's the point of losing that original identity to make something that's just a pale copy of the regular range?
Maybe I'm getting a bit carried away. As I've already said, the new Cask Strength is better than the old 100° Proof, and perhaps the 17yo has its appeal, given the current price of the 18yo in the regular range. There will always be customers for this Port Askaig collection, even if they release fewer limited editions, and I applaud that.
However, I can only express my concern. When you launch a new range, you chart a new course. Enthusiasts are very often disappointed by this new direction. I hope it's just a case of fear of the new, and that I'm a little mistaken. Time will tell whether Port Askaig really has a say in the identity of Caol Ila.
