This young Islay Single Malt comes from an undisclosed distillery and was finished in a German Bordeaux cask. Although that sounds very interesting, I have no clue what “German Bordeaux” means. Maybe a German wine in style of a Bordeaux? Or maybe it simply refers to the style of the cask? Who knows.

Facts

McNeill’s Prototype Islay Malt Experiment #003 (McNeill’s Choice)

Nose

A big smoked ham. The smoking aroma is nicely balanced by sweet red berries, pears, roasted almonds and menthol. There is also a whiff of coffee in the background. The alcohol is noticeable, albeit only slightly.

Taste

Starts smooth and sweet with sugared lemon peels, rock sugar and sweet cherries, but then it gets spicier with black peppercorns. There is also some bitter nougat in the mix. A lot of peated ash is floating around, too.

Finish

Medium to long and sweetish. Warm ash, cherries and cherry oak.

Overall

Something different for sure! The wine finish is not too dominant and is a nice supplement to the peated ash. That being said, I think a few more years in the cask would have not hurt.

Score: 84 / 100