Isle of Skye 12-year-old Blended Scotch Whiskey / 40%/ 0.7l

Isle of Skye is a blended whisky from the Ian Macleod Distillers portfolio, whose formula, as you might guess, is built around the Talisker single malt produced on the Isle of Skye.

The company claims that the original recipe for the whisky was developed by the Macleod family in the 19th century and features single malts from the Scottish Isles and Speyside balanced with single grain whiskies from the North British Distillery. The Isle of Skye presented here has been aged for at least 12 years, with a higher proportion of malt whiskies compared to the 8-year-old version. After the blending process is complete, the finished blend is returned to the barrels for several months to complete the integration of aromatic and flavour elements.

Nose: rich, slightly smoky, subtle notes of sherry, honey, vanilla, raisins, dried dates and plums, a touch of oak, nutmeg and pepper.

Palate: slightly oily, caramel, honey, vanilla salt, nutmeg, pepper, baked apples and a distant whiff of smoke.

Finish: medium long, with notes of caramel, vanilla, mixed nuts, dried fruit and peat smoke.