A Review of Port Askaig 18 Year Old

We once again drag Limpd kicking and screaming through the peat bog for a review of the latest Port Askaig release, an 18 year old single cask bottling from an undisclosed Islay distillery. While Limpd claims to not really be an Islay whisky lover, he has purchased many an Islay expression (distillery AND independent bottlings) over the past few years, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on with him. Maybe it's Stockholm syndrome, or maybe he just likes being dramatic by claiming that his newfound appreciation for The Peat is all my fault. Frankly, I'm ok with shouldering the blame as long as there's delicious Islay whisky on the table to sample.

Before we get to our review, here is a bit of information about Port Askaig and their 18 year old expression:

Port Askaig is a range of Islay single malt whiskies that embodies the unique spirit of Islay and its people. Its character brings together the robust smokiness and soft fruitiness found in this beguiling island.The range has been developed to appeal to the most discerning of whisky connoisseurs while also appealing to the novice whisky drinker. We have selected exceptional casks of Islay single malt and created a range that we believe will become recognised as an Islay classic.Our newest release is an exclusive single cask distilled in 2000 and aged for over 18 years in an ex-bourbon barrel. This single malt from the north east shore of Islay is brimming with seaside flavors and a sweetness that glides over the palate like an ocean breeze. Bottled at a natural cask strength of 50.8%.

If you look at a map of Islay, you'll see two distilleries on the northeast shore: Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila. Although we don't know for sure which distillery this whisky came from, we're pretty sure that it's a Caol Ila. We've had quite a few Caol Ila independent bottlings these days, and we've been very pleased with all of them, so here's hoping that if we guessed right, it's yet another yummy dram from this distillery. To find out what we thought of the Port Askaig 18, click the play button on the following video:

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