Whisky Review – Filthy Smoke 10 y/o
It is no secret that here at The Dram Duo we are big fans of peated whisky. In particular Islay peated whisky. So it is unsurprising that a name like ‘Filthy Smoke‘ had us both intrigued; especially when a 50cl bottle costs less than £30, and you can sample a 3cl dram for £4.10.
Tasting Notes …
Filthy Smoke 10 y/o – 42.8% ABV
A single-malt expression from an undisclosed Islay distillery, this whisky was finished in sherry casks that were “specially selected for their robust, gunpowdery, somewhat sulphury elements” (MoM). Bottled at 42.8% ABV in 2021 it has proven a somewhat illusive dram, difficult to pin down much information on.
Nose: massive amounts of medicinal peat, jammy sweetness, TCP, raspberry coolie – this then gives way to toast and vanilla icecream
Palate: very earthy, old tree bark, muddy leaves, peppercorn sauce, BBQ tropical fruits, lime peel
Finish: quite a short finish – earthy notes with hints of toffee
WOW. There is no hiding that this dram packs a punch! The peat is very much present, and it is definitely medicinal peat instead of the slightly more savoury BBQ tones of some whiskies.
A short and sweet post from us today. We do love a smoky dram here at The Dram Duo, however, this one split our opinion. If you’re a fan of medicinal peat then it would be worth your while trying a sample of this! However, if you prefer a BBQ peat then potentially steer clear of this one.
Over the last couple of weeks we have been trying more whiskies from ‘undisclosed distilleries’. Whilst this can be helpful in some regards – removing any preconceptions of flavours – it also has it’s drawbacks. With the growing trend towards complete transparency in the whisky industry (Ardanurcham we are looking at you) we wonder whether we will see less of these ‘undisclosed’ drams in the future.
We would love to know what your feelings are on ‘undisclosed distilleries’ – are you a fan? Or do you prefer to know exactly where your whisky is coming from? As already mentioned, it has proven somewhat difficult to find much information about this whisky. So let us know in the comments below if you know more about the bottlers/distillers!
The Dram Duo 