Isle of Skye 8 Year Old

Nose: Tricky to define but peat and spices (Nutmeg) are present. The oak interaction is clear and there are strains of Barley. More of the Islay that Speyside malts are apparent on the nose.

Taste: Sweet and thick. Very chewy with the peat still present along with spices. Here comes the sweetness now, butterscotch and cream.

Finish: Long and fairly sweet with hints of smoke and spice right at the end.

Balance: The islands are clear throughout but never overpowering. This is a sweet whisky, maybe too much for some, that is actually fairly pleasant.

This whisky took some effort to review. My first taste was at a tasting evening with my local whisky group. This particular whisky came last in the scoring and, so it seemed at the time, rightly so to. I was slightly concerned that it might have been tainted by tasting so many others the same evening. The second tasting attempt followed two days later and there was an improvement but still it was a struggle. Finally, the third attempt I got somewhere.

My advice... be patient with this!! Somebody has taken a lot of time to perfect this blend so expect to take time trying to appreciate it. When you get there you will be rewarded with a pleasant whisky. Some will find this a little too sweet. Personally, while I liked this whisky, I struggled to match it with some of absurd hype I have heard from others.