About
Peat, iodine, smoke, depth — long, intense finish. One of Islay's defining whiskies, uncompromisingly smoky.
The distillery sits at the head of a small bay on Islay's south coast, beside the ruins of Dunyveg Castle. Legal distilling began in 1816, though stills ran here from 1742. Water comes down from the Solan Lochs in the hills behind. The barley is malted at nearby Port Ellen to 35 parts per million of phenols.
Slowness is the house method. Fermentation runs 55 to 75 hours in wooden washbacks, then four squat, pear-shaped stills take over. The first run takes five hours and the second more than nine, the slowest on the island. The spirit then spends 16 years mostly in bourbon casks, with a share in European oak sherry casks. It was launched in 1989 as one of the original Classic Malts.
Difford's calls it a gentle giant, all fruitcake and sea salt under the smoke. Take it neat or with a splash of water.
Structure
Picked on Stef's structure profile.
