Smokehead

This malt, bottled by an independent which identifies is as "South Islay," has just landed in Vancouver. From googling, I gather it has been around elsewhere for about a year.

I see there's a great deal of discussion out there about which distillery it's from. I've seen suggestions it's a young Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Ardbeg or Laphroaig.

My money's on Lagavulin. Smokehead is very similar to what I recall of a couple of earlier anonymous young Islays, The Ileach and the Dun Bheagan; the consensus in this group a number of years ago was that they were young -- maybe six to eight years old -- Lagavulins. Going by notes only since I haven't tasted it, the Finlaggan fits the same profile. A distant second place, Caol Ila. I discount the Ardbeg because the taste profile is not right, and in any case they're selling their young malts with their own label for twice the price of the Smokehead. Why would they sell it cheaper to an independent? It's a bit reminiscent of the Laphraoig 10, but my palate says that's not quite it.

In any case, it's exactly what I like in a single malt: big, in-your-face smoke, peat and creosote/Islaydine, with other underlying tastes if you look for them. I'm going to pick up a few more bottles of it soon, before it runs out. This has great potential to be my everyday single malt.

If anyone else has tasted it, I'd be interest in your impressions. If you haven't and you like the South Islay style, I highly recommend it.

cheers.

Reply to
bill van
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I've bought a bottle or two in the past. Generally I liked it. I'd agree that Lagavulin plays a part in it, but I suspect it's a vatting of that and something else - possibly Caol Ila. Leaves a slightly sweet aftertaste.

Generally costs about 22UKP (in the UK, obviously) and can be found in Sainsbury.

Jim

Reply to
Jim

It's a single malt, so all of it is from a single distillery.

Reply to
Paul Arthur

Ah, right. Lagavulin then. Definitely. Unless it isn't.

Jim

Reply to
Jim

Thanks Jim! That cleared it up then!

Reply to
TimC

"bill van" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@shawnews.vc.shawcable.net...

I tasted and liked it. General opinion is that it's an ardbeg, young 6 years.

Reply to
AA

Well, you know me - acuuracy is my watchword.

Jim

Reply to
jim

Hmmm, odd. I've had young Ardbegs (Very Young, Still Young and Alomst There) and they taste different. To me, anyway.

Jim

Reply to
Jim

First .. I've never tried it.. so my opinion?

I doubt it is Lagavoulin, simply because Diagio has not in the past made a lot of Lagavoulin available as a "white label" they don't have enough to sell under their own name.

Bruichladdich has a lot of the Octomore around.. and a little goes a long way .. I would not at all be surprised to find that it plays an important part in something like this.

As a vatted malt it could be say 10% Octomore and 70% 5yo Bowmore (who do sell a lot white label) with 20% of something older to mellow it..

just guessing...

Reply to
ajames54

The Dun Bheagan, The Ileach and Finlaggan have all been identified by much more educated palates than mine as very like young Lagavulins.

The Lagavulin 16 shortages of a few years ago were caused by a misreading in the 1980s of how much the baby boom would turn to island-style malts; they reduced production when they should have been increasing it. That has long been recognized and rectified and I suspect they have plenty of young stock now.

It's not vatted, it's a single.

How old's the Octomore now? It hasn't been bottled under its own name yet, has it?

I guess it could be some of that and some of one more lower-peat Bruichladdichs. On the other hand, the Octomore is so anticipated that it would seem foolish to sell some of it under another name when its own name would probably fetch much more money. That's the same reason I don't think it can be a young Ardbeg. Their young distillery bottlings of late are quite popular.

Reply to
bill van

"ajames54" skrev i melding >

The one thing that's for certain is that it's not a Bruichladdich:

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I had a post here with the same name (Smokehead) in july 2006. My guess then was Lagavulin. That's what I still believe, simply based on the taste. But of course, I'm just guessing too ;-) It's a nice young Islay anyway!

Gunnar

Reply to
Gunnar Thormodsæter

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