Company: Elixir Distillers
Distillery: Elixir Distillery
Region: Islay, Scotland
Aging: No Age Statement
ABV: 55% ABV
Proof: 110 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $80
Port Askaig 110 Proof Islay Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Tasting Notes
Appearance: Nearly clear with just a hint of color
Nose: Sweet corn sugar, peat, smoke, vanilla, salty seawater, spice, graham cracker, malt, light fruits
Palate: Heavy peat, smoke, brine, malt, spice, light fruits, citrus, tropical fruit, earthy
Finish: Long finish with a bit of heat but worth it for the lovely oily and buttery mouthfeel that doesn’t quit – leaves you with bold heavy peat that is quite enjoyable followed up by briny saltiness, a bit of fruit notes, and a pepper spice that carries through for a very long time
Is Port Askaig 110 Proof an Approachable Whiskey?
Port Askaig 110 Proof is big and bold.
It’s packed full of peat and is an extremely powerful Scotch whisky.
This is not a whisky for beginners.
Is Port Askaig 110 Proof Complex?
Port Askaig 110 Proof has a few layers of flavors that start with peat and more peat.
The biggest flavor you find in this bottle is absolutely the peat.
Once the blast of peat subsides, you are met with a briny saltiness followed by tropical fruit and earthy malt flavors.
The finish is quite bold as well and is one of the best elements of this whisky.
What are Port Askaig 110 Proof ’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Port Askaig 110 Proof’s strongest attribute is its peatiness.
This whisky is all about one thing and it is absolutely the peat.
Is Port Askaig 110 Proof a go-to whiskey?
Port Askaig 110 Proof is a little one-dimensional for me and I would pick a few other bottles off my shelf before this one including the Laphroaig Lore, The Big Peat, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, and Port Charlotte 10 Year.
Is Port Askaig 110 Proof priced accurately to its quality?
Port Askaig 110 Proof is priced a bit above its quality.
I don’t generally prefer the one-dimensional peat blast and tend to gravitate toward the more balanced peaty Scotch Whisky flavor profiles mentioned above, so it’s hard for me to recommend this bottle over its competition.
I also wonder why this pour is so light on color which makes me think this is an underaged bottle of Scotch whisky for this price.
*Note: The bottle does specify that this bottle in non-chill filtered and no added colouring
Conclusion for Port Askaig 110 Proof
Port Askaig 110 Proof doesn’t really do it for me.
I can see the appeal of the big and heavy peat flavor profile, but there are other Scotch whisky on the market that do a better job for a cheaper price.
Also, there is something about the nose on this one that just doesn’t jive well with me.
I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but it’s almost like a corn sugar smell which doesn’t make sense to me because this is a single malt Scotch.
Whatever it is on the nose, I do not get it at all on the palate so that is a good thing.
So while this isn’t particularly the whisky for me, I can see fans of heavily peated whisky who are looking for a bold and dominating peat profile enjoying this one.
I’d be curious to try other Port Askaig bottles to see if they are a little more balanced or if all of their bottles are as one-dimensionally peat as this one.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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