Scalasaig Island Hopper

Summerton Virtual Whisky Festival sample. “Maiden Voyage” edition. The main component is Caol Ila, with some Bunnahabhain (and some from Mull, Orkney and an unnamed ‘coastal’ distillery - although the owner did eventually state it was a white label ‘teaspoon’ Ailsa Bay). This is not bad for a blended malt. Overall, it has a strong sherry influence, with a huge fruit hit on top of the light smoky oak. The finish is short, with some chocolate and a bit of vanilla. It’s OK, but no more than that. You can absolutely get the Islay influence, but for my money I’d prefer one of the Islay malts over this.

Not really my taste as I prefer sweet whisky, BUT this is so far the nicest smoky whisky I've tasted. It has a wispy smoke, not the medicinal taste of some peated whiskies. It's a blend, and that actually makes it smooth and even. It has a bit of coastal salt to it.