Elements of Islay – BW1

Elements of Islay. Bw1.
50cl – £54.95 approx.
52.9%

Nose

All of those familiar Islay notes are there. Hot peat, medicinal TCP. Soaking tarred ropes. Seashores. But then there’s the fruit lingering. Rich dark fruits. Sumptuously sitting. Waiting.

Palate

Woh! It’s hot. It burns. But it’s a nice burn! The sherried raisins and plump plumminess glows on first tasting. Then the sweet peat and grassy hay notes float in for a session.

Finish

It’s a long one! Drying. Fruity sherry ridden grass. I need more

Adding water?

Adding a drop of water softens the heat, but also softens the aromas, actually quite limiting the fruity elements. The nose becomes more traditionally Islay. On the palate it’s not as developing in the mouth with more of a merger of the fruit and grass/hay/peat. Before water it developed in the mouth very evidently. The finish, grassier with water.

Personal opinion. I preferred it with no water added.

Conclusion

Quite a luxurious and sumptuous dram. It’s one that you have to sigh out wheb nosing and accept the warmth to the core on tasting.

Soul enriching.

Bottle obtained from thewhiskyexchange.com