May Tasting Sessions – Pour & Sip
A celebration of Islay. Now what would be more appropriate than a tasting box dedicated to Islay given the upcoming Fèis Ìle festival! We all know by now that if it comes from Islay chances are at least half of The Dram Duo are going to love it. Spoiler alert, we already have some of the bottles featured below on order.
Keep an eye out for our Fèis Ìle virtual tasting notes as we head in June – we have been lucky enough to get some limited edition bottles and sets!
Tasting session one:
| Name | Distillery | Origin | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stiùireadair | Bunnahabhain | Islay, Scotland | 46.3% |
| Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak | Laphroaig | Islay, Scotland | 48% |
| Lagavulin PX 2005 | Lagavulin | Islay, Scotland | 43% |
Stiùireadair
Nose: leather, brine, dark chocolate, salted caramel, wet beaches, mince pies and butter
Palate: smooth, petrichor, salted caramel and buttery pastry
Finish: pepper, butter, chilli chocolate and ginger spice
Given that this is an Islay themed box you wouldn’t be judged for expecting all the whiskies to be peated. However, that is not the case with this Bunnahabhain. A lovely whisky, which has made us curious to try more from this distillery. A great grown-up whisky – think sat around in a big leather chair chewing the fat with some close friends. This is the whisky you want.
Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak
Nose: Smokestak BBQ sauce, tobacco, raisins, baking spices and germaline
Palate: Wax, honey, polish, maple syrup, pine needles and burnt tires – like watching the Mini Cooper cup at Silverstone
Finish: long, sweetness like toffee with that unmistakeable Laphroaig smoke
I absolutely love this whisky! I have a sweet tooth and making a Laphroaig sweet and smoky is basically my year made (in whisky terms). It’s rich and smooth yet sophisticated with each element given time to come through and develop more. If you can get a dram -better yet a bottle! – I would strongly recommend you do. Sitting in your garden next to a fire pit this should be your drink of choice.
Lagavulin PX 2005
Nose: stewed plums, cherry jam and sea air
Palate: orange oil, toasted herbs, bonfire smoke and prunes
Finish: salt and pepper, smoked meat and tobacco
I have been wanting to try this distillery for a long time now (mainly down to Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec – Netflix) it is safe to say my excitement was justified. A great punchy whisky, full of flavour and character. Probably not one I would want more than one dram of in a night but it is certainly a display shelf bottle for your whisky friends. My only reservation is the price but hey if you can splash out, you won’t be disappointed.
Throughout the first tasting session, the other half of The Dram Duo was also live-tweeting. So you can see their tasting notes below! (She forgot to for the second tasting, d’oh!)
Tasting session two:
| Name | Distillery | Origin | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 | Bruichladdich | Islay, Scotland | 50% |
| Aerolite Lyndsay 10 | The Character of Islay Whisky Company | Islay, Scotland | 46% |
Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012
Nose: pear, floral, citrus, creamy, honey, crème brûlée, sea washed pebbles, red fruits, chocolate and mild peat
Palate: brine, buttered brioche, porridge and brown sugar
Finish: ginger, salted caramel and wine
Distilled in two types of casks; 75% American oak and 25% 2nd fill French wine. This gives the whisky some great floral and winey notes as well as some ginger spice from the oak, but balanced on both fronts. The creamy, buttery notes are even more pronounced with the mouth feel as it was quite thick on the tongue much like double cream does. It is a light colour whisky appearing like a white wine on the colour chart we use. A great whisky to start the night and one that we really enjoyed.
Aerolite Lyndsay 10
Nose: ashy peat, iodine, grilled pineapples and mango, honey, oats, salted fudge and a smidge of leather
Palate: lemon curd, grass, berry jam and bonfire smoke
Finish: charcoal, teriyaki, toffee, syrup and engine oil
Wow, what a contrast to the first whisky we tried. Although we weren’t told where this whisky started it’s life it had some very similar characteristics to Caol Ila, which judging by the live chat on YouTube so did a few people. Matured in ex-bourbon barrels and Spanish Oak sherry quarter casks there is plenty going. It was a great dram to have as the second of the evening as it was very different and just highlights the rich craftsmanship of whisky on Islay alone! It was quite punchy on the peat and smoke so much so despite the love affair the other-half has with Kilchoman this was a little too much on the peat scale.
This box overall for us has been the best, our second themed box from Pour and Sip. With guests for each whisky it is great to hear their thoughts along with Kristy and Andrew.
We love everything Islay has to offer in the whisky world and of course the Laphroaig was a favourite for me. We have a number of exciting tastings for Fèis Ìle so keep an eye out. If they are anything like this tasting we are in for a treat.
In the meantime don’t forget to leave your comments on the whisky’s we have mentioned and leave us some recommendations!
You can check out our previous reviews below.
- Pour & Sip – January 2021
- Pour & Sip – February 2021
- Pour & Sip – March 2021
- Pour & Sip – April 2021
- Pour & Sip – May 2021
- Pour & Sip – June 2021
The Dram Duo 