This is another one that came highly recommended, and another one that made me second-guess my purchase. At $44 bucks, it's not the most expensive whisky I've purchased, but not the cheapest either. Bottled at 46%, this one is a real juggernaut of a whisky. A splash of water goes a long way to tame this beast. And oh my goodness is it peaty! I thought the Benromach was peaty, this one smokes that. No pun intended.



I love the packaging; the labelling. It's very Celtic-like. It just makes me think of days of old, Braveheart, Lord of the Rings, and dragons. Stuff like that. I really wanted to fall in love with this whisky, but it was not to be.







Like Benromach, this one too came with a wee book.



Master of Malt says…

Nose: A ridge of vanilla leads to mountain of peat capped with citrus fruits and circled by clouds of sea spray.

Palate: Sweet vanilla counterbalanced with lemon and lime followed by that surging Ardbeg smoke that we all know and love.

Finish: Long and glorious; sea salted caramel and beach bonfire smoke.

Overall: Precise balance, big smoke and non-chill filtered. This is why this is such a famous dram.

But again, this whisky is a killer. I had to really muscle through a glass of it. I've had a few and my opinion hasn't changed at all. I thought maybe it would grow on me. It's unchill-filtered with no caramel added. A splash of cold water gives it the highland mist. So the color isn't that beautiful dark golden color you get with sherry casks, but more of a soft, dull yellow. Yeah, I guess you can say it looks like pee. The taste is definitely something else. It's like medicine. It's like antiseptic and iodine. Sea salt and brine. Very smokey and very peaty.

This is my first Islay whisky, so I'll think I'll be sticking with the Highlands from here on out. Master of Malt says, "Islay whiskies are among Scotland’s most powerful, thunderous drams. Often with plenty of peat and smoke, brine and medicinal flavours." They nailed it. And it's one of the few whisky reviews that I completely agree with.