All this talk about Feis Ile, peat and smoke made me crave a bit of peat a few days ago. It’s not a secret I find myself drinking less and less peat , and since winter is long gone, weather conditions favor fruitier, lighter drams. But, when you need your fix peat , you need that… A few months ago I tasted this lovely PE at a friend’s and luckily I was given a sample to review later (cheers ofer) , and totally forgot about it…
We all know how PE prices look like these days, so any chance of drinking a dram and not filing for chapter 11 is welcome …
So here goes, some Port Ellen to continue this week with…
Old Malt Cask Port Ellen 26 years Cask DL5398, Refill Sherry Butt , 50%
Nose: Starts quite waxy and sooty, with smoke, and earthy peat, then a whiff of fruit (pears, some tropical fruit maybe too), toasted oak, and hints of fried bacon, over a vanilla veil.further nosing reveals notes of old and moist oak and even some sherried notes. all very restrained.
Palate: Some pepper and peat up front really fresh ground black pepper, with a sooty feeling to it, some more wax, cinnamon, and some toffee notes, as well. vanilla, and smoky dried banana, some peaches, and apple peel. the lovely pepper, ashy sooty peat is complementing it all, and not overshadowing.
Finish: vanilla, pepper and soot, ash and also cinnamon rolls, and a salty note too.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely whisky indeed. I’ve not had tons of PE’s but I’ve had a few over the years, and this might not be the best, but it’s a damn good dram nonetheless. I’d love to drink this more often. The world does need this kind of peat, quite different than what’s being released these days.
Score: 90/100
Image: WhiskyBase.com