Islay Mist 8 Years Review

The tale of Islay Mist 8 years, well just Islay Mist, holds that it was the original “Islay blend” created in the 20’s to celebrate a Lord’s son’s 21st birthday. I don’t know why 21 was a big deal in the 20’s, “legal drinking age” wasn’t much of a thing back then and in the UK it was 18. And like everything in life, it wouldn’t apply to aristocrats anyway. I guess they just like the number 21 in that family.

Though it is kind of interesting that the 1920s is when the UK actually got a legal drinking age. Before then it truly wasn’t a thing and for many years after it wasn’t a heavily enforced thing. Also, for a while, the UK had a split drinking age of 18 and 16: 18 for liquor and 16 for beer, cider, wine, etc. Though that beer had to accompany a meal for that 16-or-17-year-old.

In the USA, the 20s were the dark period of prohibition so “drinking age” still wasn’t a thing for us and after prohibition states chose their own legal age. It was nationally lowered to 18 for a while but kids were driving drunk so in 1984 Reagan signed a bill making the legal age 21. I was 3 when that happened and 37 years later that I’m writing this post about the Islay Mist 8.

Now, let’s get to drinkin’ and dive nose first into this blended Scotch review.

Islay Mist 8 Years – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Style: Blend (Scotch)
Region: Scotland
Blender: MacDuff International

Blend: Single malt (Laphroaig + Highland and Speyside malts) + Single Grain whisky
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry
Age: 8 Years
ABV: 40%

Islay Mist 8 Years Price: $25*

Related Whiskey

Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky
Isle of Skye 8
Isle of Skye 12 year
The Black Grouse
Laphroaig 10 Years

White background tasting shot with the Islay Mist 8 Years bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Initially blended for the 21st birthday celebration of the son and heir of the then Lord Sargadale, this gold-medal winning whisky still carries the seal of the Lord of the Isles.” – MacDuff International

Islay Mist 8 Years Tasting Notes

EYE
Light caramel

NOSE
Caramel, dried orchard fruit, honey, smoke and some malty sweet and coastal notes.

Easy, lightly peated, aroma with a definite grain profile and a shiny bit of malt.

PALATE
Charry smoke, dried orchard fruit, malty sweetness, roasted nuts, caramel and a bit of menthol.

There’s a dirtiness to it that reminds me, a bit, of Ledaig. I kinda dig it.

FINISH
Med-long -> Smoke, earth, caramel, malty sweet and menthol.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Decent balance, medium-light body and a light polished feel.

Islay Mist 8 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score

I honestly didn’t expect to like this as much as I do. My good friend Bozzy and I were chatting recently about some of the blends we enjoy and now that I’ve had this, I’m going to have to add it to my list. This is nice.

Islay Mist 8 Years is an easily enjoyable whisky. It isn’t a complex beast, it isn’t going to blow you away, but it will deliver a straightforward, moderately malt-driven, medium-peated, character. And that character is warm enough and full enough to be sipped on its own or mixed into something like a Blood and Sand or Penicillin, which is how I’ll be using it.

SCORE: 3/5 (above average, worth checking out ~ B- | 80-82)