The Ileach is one these undisclosed Islay malts that received quite some praise (like Finlaggan for example). There’s always a lot of speculation about the distillery that produces it.
We’re trying the base version of The Ileach, bottled at 40% ABV. Also available is The Ileach Cask Strength at 58%.
The colour may indicate some sherry influence, but there’s little evidence for that in my tastings notes. Added caramel then?
‘The Ileach’ peated Islay malt
(40%, OB 2015)
Nose: young, raw peat, with quite some mercurochrome, band aids, gouache paint, iodine and sea water. Islay alright. Pears and lemons on a second plan. Rhubarb. Whiffs of kitchen herbs and burnt grass.
Mouth: a big blast of peat smoke again, with lots of young, malty notes. Wet wool and lemons. Hints of tequila and barley sugar. Briney notes and liquorice. Limited complexity but no flaws.
Finish: medium long, on ashes, sweet smoke and young malty notes.
From the nose and taste, my guess would be Kilchoman. On the other hand, that’s about the only distillery of which I’ve tasted 5 year-olds (which would be my guess for the age of this whisky). I don’t know what a 5 year-old Lagavulin is like, so you never know. It’s very decent and especially interesting when you’re taking the price into account. Around € 25-30.
Score: 81/100