Smokehead: Extra Black 18 Year (Scottish Islay Single Malt Whisky: 18 Year: 46% ABV)
Visual: Deep golden grain.
Viscosity: Thick mixed speed streaks.
Nose; Peat, kipper and beef broth. Smoke. Light grapes underneath. Olives. Touch of vanilla. Water makes the olives more pronounced.
Body: Smooth texture. Beef. Black cherry and raisins. Peat. Dried beef slices. Olives. Rosemary. Lots of smoke. Peat. Water smoothes to custard, peat and meat. Even more sweetens to golden syrup like.
Finish: Dried beer, peat and big smoke. Light grapes. Honey. Very dry. Water adds malt chocolate, salt and bigger peat.
Conclusion: I was wary of smokehead by the name, I’ve always been fond of Islay, but smoke was just part of the island joy. Of course the name did hint at the uncompromising nature of Islay, but I wasn’t quite sure if it would obsess on just one piece of the puzzle.
So here we have it, smoked, oh yes, but much smoother on texture than I imagined and still some peat behind, though the saltiness seems to hold off until you add water. There’s even a delicious quirk of olives deep within the smoke which gives it a distinctive character of its own. A kind of dry savoury flavor that complements the beef slices and slight salt when brought out.
The body sweetens also with water, but the finish counters that by becoming dryer and saltier. This creates quite the contrast and despite the smooth texture it keeps those medicinal excesses though expressed in its own spiky way.
Very nice, though for me it doesn’t go against the big gun of the Islay league, that being Lagavulin. (This is where someone is going to tell me the mystery distillery is in fact Lagavulin, but it doesn’t quite feel like there. I could be wrong though) This whisky doesn’t have the balance or complexity of Lagavulin 16 for me. It is however delicious and dedicated to the smoke of its premises and uses that around its own distinct character.
So, not my favourite, but the way it manages such smoothness with keeping the Islay character is impressive. Pretty good, but not quite the top league for me.
Background: For some reason I always thought this was a vatted malt whisky, but now I get the chance to find it, it turns out to be Single Malt, just with the distillery not named. Anyway, drunk at Brewdog Bristol, because I just happened to be there. That’s my story and I’m keeping to it. For a long time the big peaty whiskies were my main love of the whisky scene now I have gained an appreciation for the lighter fruitier ones, but there is still a place in my heart for peat and smoke.
