Scarabus Single Malt

Nose: Crisp peat smoke, flinty stones, breezy seashore, a wisp of tangy citrus (grapefruit, lemon) and just a hint of vanilla and pencil shavings. Palate: Immediately briny on the arrival with semi-sweet lemon in the foundation. As it develops, the sweetness enlarges with just a suggestion of salted caramel and you start to get mild peat smoke. The smoke flavor continues to grow as the palate progresses but this never becomes a peat monster. There is a crisp, clean quality to the palate and the texture is fresh and firm, but not oily or creamy. The dry, salty aspect never retreats. Finish: Medium/Long. The salt and lemon profile subsides into mildly ashy sweetness over time and the texture gains creaminess. A pleasant NAS by Hunter Laing that is sourced from an unknown Islay distillery, but it only takes one taste to nail this as Caol Ila … and very young Caol Ila at that. The crisp lightness of profile, lack of intense wood character and almost colourless appearance all confirm this as very young whisky matured in good quality refill casks. I doubt this is much more than 5 years old but that means nothing in itself. There are some strikingly good young single malts out there (Waterford, Lochlea, Ardnamurchan etc.) and this expression can be added to that list. One thing I would note is that when first opened this whisky seemed overly salty and harsh on the nose with an accompanying sharp palate, however it has relaxed considerably over just a week. At 46% abv this can handle a dash of water, however dilution does little for the nose other than muting it and causing some plastic/rubber notes to emerge from the peat reek. Likewise the palate is softened but a slightly sour metallic flavor comes to the front, which is not desirable. Water does make the texture creamier, but overall I’d call adding it a bad move so take this one neat. This can be enjoyed as a sipping whisky but for me it lacks the character to make it a really engaging experience. It does work well as a mixer or in long drinks, and is pleasant in black coffee, so for the money it is a good buy. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose - Clean ashy/mineral peat, bright lemon zest, honey, salt Taste - Salty bright ashy/mineral smoke, vanilla, lemon, black pepper, citrusy, lemon zest Finish - Lingering salt, fruity ashy smoke, vanilla, lemon zest, light mineral Score - 78/100 Final Thoughts - So I'm no Islay expert by any means, but I've been quite fortunate to have been able to try a few Caol Ila in the past and this screams young ex-bourbon matured Caol Ila to me. It's got the ashy/minerally peat smoke and the refreshing lemon/citrus zest vibe to it from start to finish. Add to the fact that they're a fairly large distillery that is owned by Diageo and so has the capacity for volume for something like this blend by Hunter Laing. It's not bad for the price and delivers a pleasant drinking experience. I'd say it's good enough to sip neat when you want something peated and don't want to think about it, or it'd also be good as a peated mixer. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - No Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe Another NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.

To the eye this whisky is shockingly light in color, like white wine, so it obviously hasn’t spent much time in the barrel. It has a strong nose that takes some time to reveal its subtleties. Up front it has powerful ashy peat, buttery cold bacon fat, some copper, iodine, and punchy alcohol. Then comes a hint of vanilla, and just a drop of fruitiness in the form of Bosc pear and underripe pineapple on a bed of salty kelp. On the tongue it’s surprisingly sweet and spicy. It’s a straightforward sugary sweetness, accompanied by red pepper flakes and some sharp citrusy tang, reminiscent of lemon. The moment you swallow though, sooty peat dominates the palate along with a tinge of iodine. The body is nice, coating, yet not too heavy. The legs start out thin and quick but give way to heavier ones with medium tears and leaves a nice mist at mid glass. The lengthy finish is slightly dry, somewhat leathery, peaty, a little woody and sharp. Nose: 7 Taste: 8 Body: 7 Finish: 7

Initial musty vinegar nose with green apples, iodine, antiseptic, mesquite jam, and dry smoke. On the palate, it's a bit thin, starting with an initial hit of dried green apple, followed by a sweet smoke with a touch of sea. Reminds me of smoked kipper a bit. Flavors don't develop an awful long time, and the only lingering flavor is the smoke. All in all, a pretty good scotch, and I find it overall better balanced than the tried and true Lagavulin 10. Given its price, I think it makes for a pretty darn good value.

Very peaty. Smoke, peat, earth, seaweed, dank dead plant matter, ocean air and charcoal nose with a hint of those drops they put in your ears after swimming at summer camp. Rich and earthy on the palate; charcoal, peat, smoke, earth, leather, vanilla, bandaids, oak, black pepper and toast. The finish is long, peaty, earthy and peppery. It’s not the smoothest, but it’s full in every way, and the melding of the earth and the sea seems transportive. I want to go read Conrad or Melville.

A quality like this for 30 bucks? That’s unbelievable. The usual Islay flavor profile is there. Smoke, brine and the sweet malty honey. At 46% it feels very drinkable. My friends and I drank the whole bottle within less than an hour. No age statement and hard to say where they sourced the whisky from other than its from Islay. Probably the best budget whiskey I’ve ever had.