Blackadder Peat Reek Raw Cask
59.5% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Heavy peat ahead! Malted notes, light orchard fruits, and maritime. Water brings out caramels, grasses, and iodine. There are some mint leaves poking through the smoke.
Taste: This bottling is earthy and heavily peated. Mild citrus, a stronger nutty characteristic – somewhat blending into smoked meat, and very faint espresso.
Finish: Slightly dry, old wood, iodine appears here again, and peppery citrus heat rounds out the smoke cloud that is bound to last.
This mysterious Islay single malt is as intriguing as the man wielding a sword and dagger on the label! Bottled at cask strength (check) after aging in a hogshead, with no added colouring or chill-filtration (double check), this straw coloured spirit – which you might argue is even lighter – is a real gem. I opened this bottle in good company and it was a stand out with the crowd. As it is undisclosed, it’s near impossible to not try and guess what distillery produced this – Bruichladdich? Kilchoman? Bunnahabhain? Laphroaig? The best answer is “it doesn’t matter”... the liquid speaks for itself. Rounding out the experience of this dram are the bits and pieces of char that swirl about like a whisky snow globe. Thumbs up.
Details: Bottled August 2015, Bottle 10 of 243, Cask Ref. PR2015-4.
Tasted September 20 2018.
