We Blind Tasted Islay Whisky and Here Were The Results
Which Islay whisky is the smokiest? Does Lagavulin 16 taste better than Ardbeg 10? Is Laphroaig really medicinal? Only one way to find out.
There may not be a more divisive spirit in the entire world than Scotch from the island of Islay. They are bottled sea monsters. Bursts of smoke, snarled attitude and frothing ocean sit just below the brim, waiting to pounce on the ill-prepared. These Scotches demand a conqueror; whether it be them or you, someone will come out on top. But, once you fall in love with the challenge…there is nothing as alluring as a peaty Islay in the entire world.
The Stage
Think about the IPA hoppiness Arms Race currently taking place in the United States’ beer scene. The arguments over which is the hoppiest, which is the most delicious, which is the most manly to drink (Harrumph!). It’s forcing breweries to go from double, to triple to quadruple hopping to please the mobs of tulip glass wielding beards. Now, take all the flannel clad angst that’s stretched across thousands of breweries, and imagine if only 8 breweries were able to make IPA and only 5 were really trying to compete for dominance. Imagine that concentration of arguments and tribal warfare. Now…you have the battlefield upon which Islay’s Distillery Cult Wars takes place.
While many casual Islay fans simply sit back and enjoy the whisky, there are those who refuse to admit that any Islay besides their favorite bottle truly captures what it means to be an Islay whisky. Believe it or not, the internet has only intensified this rivalry.
So, why not put the whisky to a test, a blind taste test. Striping away brand loyalty, marketing and long held tasting descriptions…which whisky would come out on top?
The Whisky
There are dozens of different bottling options available across Islay, but we decided to stick with the flagship offerings from the most popular distilleries. To keep ourselves honest, we included a relatively newcomer to the peat world (Bruichladdich) which none of us had tasted. Here were the contenders:
- Lagavulin 16
- Bruichladdich Port Charlotte Islay Barley Heavily Peated
- Ardbeg 10
- Caol Ila 12
- Laphroaig 10
- Bowmore 12
The Methodology
Nineteen men filed into our friend’s pub. To ensure there was no cheating, everyone stepped outside onto the covered patio to enjoy the beautiful Tucson, Arizona evening while our host poured. We would return to taste, take notes, and discuss. We would then place our washed out glasses onto the bar, and retreat back to the patio to cleanse our palates while the next round was poured. The lineup was unknown to all of us, and was selected at random by our bartender.
Each man kept a notecard where they would jot down notes, and keep track of which direction they would cast their final ballot.
The Men
We had a great mix of palates, Islay loyalties, and whiskey preferences — which I believe took our simple Islay Blind Taste Test and turned it into a fantastic real-world experiment.
- Two men were diehard Lagavulin 16 fans.
- One Ardbeg loyalist.
- Several usually drink Laphroaig, but enjoy Ardbeg when they get it.
- One who had only dabbled with Islay.
- Three were complete Islay-virgins.
- Two who really only drink Bourbon.
- One is just now getting into whiskey for the first time ever.
- …and everyone else would happily drink whatever is poured for them.
Let’s Get Down To It!
And so, the tasting began. I made my way around the group throughout the hour and a half long tasting session to collect notes, opinions and comments on each whisky. While our next round was being poured and everyone’s notes were recorded, we would chat about our impressions of the previous Islay, and come to a consensus on it’s overall character.
Here are the Islay tasting notes in the order we tasted them. I will keep the names hidden until the next section so you too can guess as we go.
Islay (A) — Pow! You get that classic iodine, peat, seaweed and brine right out of the gate. Yet, this whiskey remained remarkably light on its feet. A big waft of fresh cut grass, sweet honey, white flowers, dried tropical fruits and a splash of buttermilk hides just beneath the peat and smoke. I was surprised our whisky novice actually enjoyed this one the most, given how peaty it was. Here are some comments: “There’s a lot of freshness and energy hiding in there. But, you definitely need to like that super peaty aroma to dig past the hospital fire and ocean.” “It’s so fresh and vibrant, I can’t believe how light it feels with how BIG the flavor is” “It reminds me of ginger…it’s spicy, earthy and kinda punishing, but in a really refreshing way.”
We concluded this would be an amazing Scotch to enjoy during the spring. It begs for a fresh, chilly breeze, grilled seafood, and an outdoor fire that’s more for setting the mood than providing warmth.
Islay (B) — Our Bourbon fans really enjoyed this one. You get those baking spices, sweet fruits, and warm malt flavor, followed by a rich caramel and chocolate note that smooooothed everything out. There was nothing overly peaty, or aggressive about it. The smoke was more subdued, as if it was a seasoning and not a key ingredient. There was a black pepper astringency that threw off our Islay novices, but most seasoned drinkers felt like it was a toned down Islay, and were left wanting. Some comments: “I felt like I was plugging my ears during a concert, everything was there…just a touch muffled.” “Now that is smooth! It’s complex though. Like a chocolate covered orange candy.” “Right when I think it’s about to take off…it just kind of flattens out and just never reaches that next level. Doesn’t disappear, flavor is still there, it just isn’t exciting.”
We concluded this would be the best Islay for a Bourbon fan that wanted to experience peat smoke. While a few tasters didn’t really enjoy it, it was more because of its lack of peaty/Islay-ness, and not for a lack of deliciousness. But, yes…our hard core peat-heads were a touch bored.
Islay (C) — “Smoked ham!” was the first exclamations when we put our noses into our glasses. Someone mentioned the edible characteristic to the peat and smoke. It was super savory, salty and smoky. That mystical Umami, smoked eel sushi (unagi) or hammock flavor. Underneath the smoke we found delicious peaches, juicy apples, white chocolate covered pretzels, and an undeniable salted butter and whipped creaminess. Then right at the end…a minty lift off to refresh the palate. Some comments: “If this isn’t the Lagavulin, it sure is mimicking its savory peat smoke character well.” “So friendly and just flat out delicious, even under that big smoke kick.” “Ohhh I could drink a lot of this.” “This has everything I love about Islay, the savoriness, the smoke, the complexity…but it doesn’t have any of the rough iodine and bandaid notes I could do without.”
We concluded this was the most succulent Isaly. It wasn’t the peatiest, it wasn’t the funkiest or the boldest. But that balance between cream, fruit and smoky umami was really something special.
Islay (D) — You could sense everyone really taking this one in. One of our novice drinkers exclaimed “Burnt oranges! Like you seared citrus on a grill”. We all agreed. But, he skipped over the waves of smoke, charcoal, ash and brine that everyone else was digging through. The barbecue brisket and smoked fish really grabs your attention. It was beyond savory. Then a wave of dense ocean air, leather, musty wood and earth comes in. After digging you do get to the orange, caramel apples, and chocolate toffee. There’s an unmistakable medicinal, almost numbing, quality to the whole flavor profile. It doesn’t overpower anything, it just ebbs and flows to add complexity to whatever flavor it decides to appear during. But, it was definitely exaggerated on the finish. Some comments: “I can’t quite figure out what I’m tasting, it’s too complex. It keeps moving around too much. Which is awesome! I love this.” “It’s so dense, and filled with flavor I almost have to chew it…then there’s that ::breathes in:: there’s that minty freshness to it.” “I’m not sure about this one, it’s too something. Like the smokey char is overpowering everything.” “Oh, I recognize my first love. Hello beautiful!”
We concluded this Scotch begs for a leather chair, a warm fire, and some cold winter weather. There is something unquestionably complex, and challenging about it, yet it felt so comforting and homey at the same time. The ashy smoke and hits of earth were too much for some of our Islay novices, though our seasoned tasters found that challenge extremely enjoyable.
Islay (E) — Even our Islay-virgins started using coastal and ocean descriptions for this one. Kelp, tide pool rocks, wooden docks, salt. There are lovely citrus, grilled tropical fruit and honey notes woven throughout, and an intoxicating dark chocolate bitterness that adds some serious character. It’s unbelievably peaty and dark, yet zippy, sweet and mouthwatering. Over all of that sits a cloud of campfire smoke and a blast of medicinal peat. Some comments: “Am I the only one that feels like a nearby coast guard med station caught fire?” “I didn’t think a Scotch could get any more complex than the last one, but wow that chocolate and smoked fish combo is something else.” “It reminds me of Isaly (A) but all of the freshness of (A) has been replaced by that seaweed and musk.” “Yes, tons of flavor no doubt. Do I like it? Sure. Will I be seeking this bottle out? No, I can do without.”
We concluded this Scotch would be great in the autumn, or a rainy day in. There’s a tension to it because you just don’t know which note is going to hit you next. Smoke? Iodine? Fruit? Seaweed? It had the most unpredictable flavor profile of the lineup. Some loved that, some found it exhausting.
Islay (F) — Our three Islay-virgins all decided this was the special Scotch that would be taking them home this evening. It was just flat out beautiful, everyone agreed. The smoke was so clean and fresh, allowing the peat flavor to take on a lively, grassy and seaweed note without become medicinal. The classic Islay salt was more of a sprinkle over a wedge of lemon. The mouthfeel was the oiliest, and fullest of the bunch—almost like a pot still Irish whiskey. It coated the entire palate with a truly complex flavor. Honeydew melon, juicy pears and vanilla provided the sweetness, while another kick of smoke rounded everything out. Smooth, powerful, lively, and almost creamy. Some comments: “I love this whisky, it is just beautiful. But, is it what I’m looking when I reach for an Islay? No.” “I could drink a few drams of this no problem. It has all the smoke I could want, but doesn’t tire me out.” “It’s so fresh and bright, and just…dang it just tastes good!” “That smoke is almost sweet, and there’s a fresh herb thing going, like when they’re still wet and kind of cold.”
We concluded that this Scotch begs for a summer evening. It is so cheerful, lively and bursting with flavor, it’s hard not to fall in love. It was very much like Islay A, but in a sundress and sandals…if that makes sense.
Now, here is the lineup in order, with the voting results to follow:
The Results
After the tasting concluded, everyone collected their notes, and met around the bar to cast their votes before the order was revealed.
First Place Votes:
Ardbeg 10 — Four 1st Place votes
Lagavulin 16 — Four 1st Place votes
Laphroaig10 — Four 1st Place votes
Caol Ila 12 —Three 1st Place votes
Bruichladdich PC — Three 1st Place votes
Bowmore 12 — Two 1st Place votes
Unsurprisingly, the group enjoyed everything, and loved the big three the most. To break the tie, we counted 2nd Place votes. Ardbeg inched ahead with four 2nd Place votes, with Laphroaig and Lagavulin tying with three.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, we did not have any solid cult followers switch camps. No Ardbeg fans voted for Lagavulin or Laphroaig or visa-versa. But, we did have many of them admit they enjoyed both of their competitors, several of them putting them as their second and third best behind their tried-and-true favorite.
While each Islay was clearly cut from the same heavily peated cloth…each had their own unique take on what that meant. Ultimately, each whisky we tried was extremely delicious and the differing opinions really only came down to long standing flavor preferences. Those mental pathways are extremely hard if not impossible to re-write, and that showed in the comments and final votes.
- Argbeg fans loved Ardbeg’s freshness and energy…while Lagavulin fans found it too bright and lacking in warmth, and Laphroaig fans found it too spicy or spiky.
- Lagavulin fans loved Lagavulin’s fireplace warmth and smoke. Ardbeg fans found it a touch too charred and not lively enough, and Laphroaig fans found it too meaty.
- Laphroaig fans loved Laphroaig’s funk and hidden fruit. Ardbeg fans felt that it was a toned down version of Ardbeg, and Lagavulin fans felt like it lacked savoriness.
We were all very impressed with the “newcomer” to the group— Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte Islay Barley. Two of our tasters noted that it was going to be their next Islay purchase. One of our Lagavulin fans even mistook it for their Lagavulin in their notes. Mercifully, when it came time to cast their vote…they still managed to cast their 1st Place vote for the actual Lagavulin, while placing what they thought was Lagavulin (but was actually the Bruichladdich) in 3rd.
Our Islay-virgins all fell in love with Caol Ila 12. They all noted how much smoother and more Bourbon like Bowmore 12’s flavors were, but really enjoyed how much smoother and fuller the Caol Ila’s mouthfeel was.
Bowmore 12 was the favorite among our Bourbon and American Whiskey fans, but the least favorite among our Scotch fans. It had the pepper, caramel, vanilla and baking spices they love, while providing just enough smoke and salt to let them know they were drinking a Scotch. Our big peat heads were disappointed, and felt the ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks muted what could have been a kickin’ Islay.
Our whiskey novice, who is just now starting to venture outside of beer/wine and into tasting whiskey, was extremely surprised by how much he loved the Islays. We did a similar tasting two months ago with rye whiskey, and he left without really enjoying any of them. Needless to say, he was nervous to try Islay, which many had told him he would hate. He voted Ardbeg as his favorite, but was most surprised by how much he loved Laphroaig. Based on what his whiskey-drinking friends, commercials and culture had told him…he had been led to believe that it would taste flat out vial. This goes to show you that we should never steer people away from trying something simply because it has a flavor profile experienced drinkers tend to enjoy.
At the end of the night, most of us left with a new found appreciation for Islay as a whole. The island pumps out some truly spectacular whisky, and if you haven’t given it a shot…it’s about time you do. If you aren’t able to get a group large enough to make splitting the cost of six bottles possible, I would highly recommend heading to a whiskey bar with a friend or two and splitting a few pours there.
Stripping away brand awareness will allow you to judge what was in the glass without any preconceived opinions or forced tasting notes. You will be able to truly taste the whisky for what it is…no marketing, pretension, cult loyalties, or Ron-Swansons…just you, the glass, and those bottled sea monsters waiting to pick a fight.
So, what’s your favorite Islay?
