Arran Islay Mist

Islay Mist 8 Y.O (Blend)

After trying to make up my mind on some single malts for the colder temps, I noticed some talk about a blend in the process. Not exactly what I was looking for at the moment, but with that said.. the price was reasonable at $27 on sale, so hell, why not!

A very simple bottle, no excess packaging (hint hint Glenvilet 12, was all that paper necessary inside the box itself?)

At the back of the bottle we have a little mention of Laphroaig being the most distinctive of the blends included in this whisky. I for one have never tried Laphoroaig, so I'll have no comparison of that nature in this review.

Colour - More on the pale gold side.

Nose - First thing to come up is very, sweet, gentle peat. Lovely. A hint of smoke, but nothing harsh. As you stay with it, you definitely get some sherry coming at you. Once again, nothing intense, quite well balanced. Stay with it longer and I detect a little salt?

Palate - Wasn't expecting this at all. Sweet, sweet, sweet. The smoke on the nose is not present at first arrival, instead I'm getting a zingy, sweetness coming across. The sherry notes and sugar emerge for a split second then disappear into a more sourish, soft peppery feel. Here comes the spice. Now the peat, very slight just under the tongue. More spice.

Finish - Peaty, slight smokey, a hell of a warmer. Zingy pepper on the tongue and in the chest. The spice is hanging around.

Conclusion - A very enjoyable blend. I would say much more tame then JW black and fairly well balanced. I added a drop of water near the end to see what would happen and the nose got sweeter and smoother. This also forced the peat to come through a little bit more, but more rounded and gentler then neat. On the palate, much sweeter, but that peppery zing is a fighter. This one is quite the warmer.

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