The Big Strand Single Islay Malt 46%
A vatting of 5-11 year old Caol Ila?
Named after the longest mostly uninterrupted sandy beach on Islay. With a total length of 7 miles, it stretches from Laggan Point in the north to Kintra and the Oa Peninsula in the south.
Tasted: Oct 2016
Aromas of fresh, crisp, salty, old skool Caol Ila with briny white fruit, grass and lovely sweet barley. Moderately peated and lightly phenolic with hints of wort and the mashtun.
The palate is fresh and crisp with a touch of digestive biscuit, white fruit and subtly phenolic, briny peat. Pleasant balance of fruit and crisp saltiness. Long, bracing and probably just like walking on the beach! However the fruit lingers and it exits with some pleasant, fragrant peat smoke.
River Flow 46%
A vatting of 2009 & 2011 First Fill Bourbon Auchroisk and 2008 Refill Bourbon Auchroisk.
Tasted: Jun 2017
The nose is full and creamy with plenty of first fill toffee’d oak, followed by grass, citrus and digestive biscuits. Lightly perfumed with some estery fruit and earth.
The palate opens with the creamy, toffee’d oak and hints of citrus. The use of refill casks stops the palate from being over oaked and allows the rich, honeyed, creamy fruit to balance. Vibrant, grassy and spicy middle leads to a mouth-watering, if a little austere finish.
Kirkwall Bay 46%
Highland Park
Tasted: Oct 2017
The aromas are a little rough at the edges with youthful barley and hints of heathery peat and sweet peat. Surprisingly there is also a bit of alcohol prickle and not much in the way of oak character.
The palate shows more oak and soft barley. Again it’s a little on the rough and ready side with subtler, sweet peat. A little short with a touch of coffee on the finish.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 