wine

Scottish whisky tasting evening 🥃
Theme: a journey through Islay, from the least to the most peated.
Line-up:

- Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012
- Secret Islay “Ufted Stills” 2017
- Islay Storm
- Smoky Scot
- Port Askaig 8y

A proper deep dive into peat, barley and maritime character.

1. Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2012
Unpeated, matured in bourbon casks. Shows off citrus, apple, malt sweetness and floral notes.
Price range: ~€95-110 (0.7L).

This one sets the baseline, very gentle, very grain-forward.

2. Secret Islay “Ufted Stills” 2017
Blended Islay malt bottled by an independent. Young, smoky, coastal, with peppery notes.
Prices vary depending on bottler, but sits in the affordable range for independents.
~€70

A curious bottle for the line-up, bridges the gap between gentle and full peat.

3. Islay Storm
Accessible single malt, medium peat, with iodine, brine, and citrus.
€53.

A reminder that Islay doesn’t have to be expensive to showcase character.

4. Smoky Scot
Islay single malt, heavily peated. Rich smoke, earth, and a medicinal edge.
€46

Brings the classic campfire smoke and maritime punch.

5. Port Askaig 8y
Young, vibrant, yet balanced. Strong peat, lemon zest, sea spray.
$59.

A great closer for the line-up, full power without losing freshness.

Fun fact time 🥃

1. The “Secret Islay” despite being labeled a blended malt is actually a single malt. Regulations prevent independent bottlers from writing “single malt” even when it is one.

2. Even if they can’t reveal the distillery, the Secret Islay has a 3-letter code on the bottle. Experts can use it to guess the origin. Will you? 👀

3. Peated whisky pairs beautifully with iodine-rich foods like salicorne. The smoky-briny balance works wonders on the palate.

Starting with pure barley sweetness and finishing in a blast of smoke shows how diverse Islay really is. From ancient grains to young peat monsters, it’s never just “one style.”
My favorite on this session was Smoky Scot that I will present to friends this weekend.