First-Time Islay Single Malt Experience
Many Islay single malts are seaside bonfires in a bottle. Pull the cork and you will unleash redolent black smoke, soot and fresh road tar aromas that fill your room, and often drive your partner/spouse to another. (We love our partner/spouse/live-in/cohabitant, but he or she has to respect our needs. You see we have a greedy-love for whisky too that needs satisfying. So, if they have to move to the kitchen, hey, that's a show of love.)
So, having unleashed the powerful aromas of your bottle upon your abode (who needs the wife's potpourri?), you are now ready to drink. You take a tentative sip and the taste experience is along the lines of an exploding grenade of peat, iodine, seaweed and brine. The finish can often be fresh peppercorns, coarse salt, eucalyptus and very pungent wood smoke that has the potential to leave you gasping and maybe frantically trying to suppress your gag reflex, if you accidentally take too big a sip. (Meanwhile, you hear a passive-aggression query from the next room: "Is everything all right dear?") Needless to say, it's an acquired taste for most people. No, not your significant other. But, maybe like your partner, very few people warm up immediately to Islay single malts.
So, just because you had a bad first date with some Islay lads/lasses like Ardbeg, Laphroaig and other peaty malt beasts, that doesn't mean you gotta abandon the newly budding whisky courtship. Enter Islay based blended Scotch whiskies. Think of them as counselors for your newly strained relationship with your Islay malt beau/beauty.
You found the smoke and tar barbs of the Islay single malt laden with sarcasm? Was the peat sweet, yet a little tart, kinda like a backhanded compliment from you know who? Was Ms. Islay patronizing you? You don't understand her do you? And you are afraid to say so, and maintain that everything is 'fine' when it is not. As I said above, help is available.
One of the chief reasons for aging malt whiskies is to make them more palatable. Young whiskies can be rough, biting, and taste of raw alcohol. Islay malts seem to not need as much time when compared to their counterparts in other regions of Scotland. Moreover, they meld well with grain whiskies. This is a good thing, as they make valuable contributions to excellent tasting, affordable, entry level Islay blends like: White Horse, Black Bottle and Islay Mist.
Islay Blends that Provide the Proper Introductions to the Islay Heavies
Legendary Islay single malts like Lagavulin, Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig have a presence in blended Scotch whiskies that are far more attractive for the newbie during the early phases of Islay courtship. Lagavulin is at the core of White Horse. Bunnhabhain is a central malt of Black Bottle. Standing at the center of the dance hall for Islay Mist is Laphroaig.
While I am not a newbie to Islay single malts, I still enjoy immensely the above noted blends. Sometimes I am not in the mood (or too light in the wallet) for the robust flavors exhibited by Islay single malts. Islay blends have their charm because they are gentle, yet deliver the signature style of the region. Couple that with the great price point and it is a cupid's match for me.
Speaking of price points, they are truly unbelievable. White Horse and Black Bottle can be had for under $20 in many parts of the continental United States. With respect to Islay Mist 7 years, I paid $21 at a grocery store in Bangor, Maine. At that price, as I passed through the checkout with my purchase and only a few feet away from the exit door, I half expected two lumbering store security officers to appear from nowhere and wrestle me to the floor, and falsely arrest on the basis that I had tampered with the price tag. Fortunately, the automatic exit door opened without tackle, and I made my way across the parking lot sans the indignity of public arrest.
Nose (undiluted)
Soft phenolic notes. Easy peat. Freshly turned over black earth. Slight eucalyptus and medicinal aromas remind me of hospital bandages and ointment. Very good aromas for a $22 blend.
Palate (undiluted)
Smooth, sweet grain whiskies perfectly compliment the ingredient peaty Islay malt whiskies making up the blend. Tastes of smokey seaside bonfire, a little ash and soot, and all these elements are graciously counterbalanced by some honey that prevents any bitterness. Very well balanced.
Finish (undiluted)
Smokey, soft seaweed, and fir tree. Faint ground black pepper with salty, green sea flavors. Nice length of these nautical nuances.
General Impressions
Islay Mist 8 years is an excellent blended Scotch that delivers up the classic taste of Islay, and all the hard working people like the Master Blender and team are to be commended. Moreover, the price point is so good that there is no room for disappointment.
Some people consider cheaply priced blended Scotch as not suitable to be drank neat. Islay Mist is a stark challenge to that view. No need for ice or water, as this blend is very smooth and drinkable. There are no raw or biting elements to this whisky.
If you find Laphroaig 10 years or Quarter Cask too strong, start with Islay Mist. The ingredient young Laphroaig whiskies of the blend do not bite, having been softened with the correct proportion of grain whiskies. They only draw you in for more conversation. But, can the conversation get a little boring? It is very smooth. Worry not! When you want too change things up a bit, a little home based vatting is all you need to do.
If the newbie has thoroughly familiarized themselves with Islay Mist and thinks there are no more surprises, they are wrong. Now, is the time to take two parts Islay Mist and add one part Laphroaig 10 (you may need to experiment and adjust to your own tastes). The result is to transform your gentle Islay into a blend with more powerful maritime flavors. How powerful you want the flavors to be will depend on how much Laphroaig 10 you add.
The other advantage of this vatting is that you have reduced the cost of your whisky date substantially and probably diminished the billowing black smoke filling the living room. You can invite your partner back in and explain your compromise in the spirit of love!
Cheers!
Jason Debly
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