This is the new Port Askaig 25 Year Old for North America. Composed from a small batch of casks from an undisclosed Islay distillery, it is different from the batch(es) we had in Europe until now.
Port Askaig 25 yo
(45,8%, Elixir Distillers 2019, 3000 btl.)
Nose: very mineral start. Wet sand and gravel, graphite, lemon peel and a soft, medicinal, almost ‘green’ peatiness. Subtle coal smoke and menthol. Fresh lemons and brine. Hints of liquorice and heather. Along the way there’s a delicate pineapple sweetness.
Mouth: sweet lemons, olive oil and medium peat. Hints of cough sweets and smoked meat. Dried seaweed and sunflower oil. Quite coastal and salty again but nicely balanced with sweet notes and herbal liqueur.
Finish: long, drier, with vegetal notes, leather and ashes.
Very good. It has a firm mineral and slightly austere side, but also fruity and herbal notes, which are slightly less prominent than I hoped. Most likely Caol Ila. Around $ 450, available through ImpEx Beverages. In Europe we can still get the other version from The Whisky Exchange.
Score: 90/100