Islay Malt - 30 yo - A Marriage of Casks (SMoS)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 47.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Islay Single Malt brings together whiskies from two Barrels and one Sherry Butt. The spirits were distilled in 1990 and 1991 and matured for at least 30 years. The two Barrels are made of American oak; all three casks had previously been used to mature whisky. The Butt had previously held Oloroso sherry. The whiskies come from the same unnamed distillery on Islay.

This bottling belongs to A Marriage of Casks within The Single Malts of Scotland range. For these editions, Elixir Distillers selects a small number of casks and marries the whiskies matured in them. Here, a smoky, maritime character with peat and iodine meets tropical fruits and caramel. The dense smoke also develops a flint-like impression. The release comprises 1,242 bottles. The whisky was bottled at 47.5% without chill filtration or added colouring and comes in a box.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, peat and ripe red fruits mingle with a subtle medicinal note. Maritime impressions become increasingly prominent, accompanied by campfire smoke and a hint of tropical fruits.
• Palate: On the palate, dense, earthy smoke gives way to dried mango and mint leaves. The texture coats the palate. Medicinal notes reminiscent of bandages contrast with pronounced sweetness and hints of papaya.
• Finish: The finish reveals spices, toasted oak and medicinal smoke with gentle caramel sweetness. Notes of sweet pastries and eucalyptus also emerge.

Distillery/Bottler:

Brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh are the people behind Elixir Distillers. Their family had run a spirits shop in northwest London since 1971; in 1999, the brothers founded The Whisky Exchange. Sukhinder initially collected miniatures before turning to full-sized bottles. This interest in whisky also led to a search for distinctive casks: in 2002, he first had whisky from a selected cask bottled, laying the foundations for The Single Malts of Scotland.

The independent bottling business previously known as Speciality Drinks was renamed Elixir Distillers in 2017. For The Single Malts of Scotland, the team selects casks from different Scottish whisky regions and follows their maturation. Each whisky's individual character and stage of maturity determine its selection. For this Single Malt, Elixir Distillers acts as the independent bottler; the producing Islay distillery remains unnamed.

Facts: