This week, we take a look at Scotland’s unofficial sixth whisky region, the infamous Isle of Islay.

Known as ‘The Queen of The Hebrides’, Islay may be small in relation to other whisky-producing regions but it still has ten distilleries and a reputation all of its own. Islay is perhaps best known for its smoky, peaty flavours, which come from malting barley over burning peat.

Unsurprisingly given its location, Islay whiskies often have flavours of the sea. Ageing their casks in sea-facing dunnage warehouses, Whisky distilled and matured on the island can often include subtle hints of seaweed, brine and even kippers.

These bottles are perfect for those looking for an extra special gift this Christmas, ideal for those who prefer a smokier dram, packed full of character and body!

To learn more about any of these fantastic bottles or to purchase them from Hard To Find Whisky, please click the images of the bottles below!

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet cereals with biscuit notes, fresh oak, smoked cedar and Manuka honey. Amsterdam pipe tobacco, shoe polish and old leather combined with a touch of waxy church candle, vanilla cream, nutmeg and oak extracts.

Taste: Sweet and spicy, with burnt oak staves, barbecued marshmallows, toffee and sea salt, vanilla and Belgium caramel waffles. Roasted coffee fudge cream on sticky toffee pudding, with a hint of white pepper and crushed cinnamon.

Finish: Floral with spicy oak tannins, iodine and sea salt.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dry, with an immediate powerful smokiness; much more so than is usual with Lagavulin, with charcoal and fragrant peat massively to the fore, backed by a clean fresh base-note that suggests sea air and mineral scents. Much reduced, aromatically, with even a little water, it remains essentially unaltered.

Palate: The smooth lightly oily texture shines with sweet richness; the taste is sweet to start, then takes off with a soaring lemony acidity and a sprinkling of sea salt to add freshness. Mid-palate the fire dries the taste, which flies still higher now in its salty-smoky intensity. A dash of water rounds and sweetens but it’s the smoke that dominates.

Finish: Long, with great waves of peat-smoke, and new-fired heights of spiced and smoky intensity that last wonderfully in the aftertaste.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Initial notes of creamy milk chocolate, red berries and sweet dried fruit are balanced with classic Oloroso spiciness and a hint of cloves.

Palate: Toasted nuts, salted caramel and chocolate-covered raisins are intertwined with crisp apple, poached pears and a dusting of cinnamon.

Finish: Sweet long finish with cocoa, cherries and a light sea spray.

To learn more about these incredible whiskies, please click the images above where you will be taken to our partners Hard To Find Whisky’s dedicated product pages. Alternatively, you can discover more of our top picks from the other Scotch Whisky regions including The Islands, Lowlands, Campbeltown, Speyside, and the Highlands by clicking the relevant links.

Slainte mhath!