Scarabus 46% ABV

Islay single Malt Whisky

Scarabus, an Islay Single Malt for those with a curious mind and an eye for detail.  A whisky bold and honest about its origins and just a little mysterious about everything else. Scarabus is known as a mystical area on the Isle of Islay, and the name dates back to 13^th century, and translates to “a rocky place” in Old Norse. Bottled at the perfect drinking strength of 46% and proudly without colouring or chill- filtration.

Hunter Laing

Appearance

White wine in colour, so light, has a lovely thick viscous swirl line slowly drops syrupy slow medium legs.

Nose

Very red berries fruity ash initially for me, reminds me of Port Charlotte whiskies. Followed by Peat, bacon, frazzle crisps, quite medicinal too, and rather powerful even at 46% ABV. Medicinal germoline, some menthol, and a slightly herbaceousness come along, perhaps even a juniper note. Red berries push through more now, and are always accompanied by bonfire ash.

Palate

There are fruits here, red berries mainly like the nose, some tropical fruits do come through too, initially the palate is quite sweet. There’s a good mouthfeel here, which i didn’t expect to be honest. Mineral notes, petrichor, peat and smoke, bacon and BBQ sauce develop to become the main body of the palate. The mouthfeel along with the red berry fruits come across like strawberry jam, juicy and peated new make spirit also come to mind.

Finish

The finish is medium in length, and is a continuation of the palate in general. Oak and char start to close the finish before salinity pops up too, nice.

My thoughts

This whisky does everything you’d expect from an Islay distillery. If peat, ash, bonfires, bacon, minerality, medicinal notes with fruits it’s your gig then at £38 a bottle this could be one for you. I have rather enjoyed it myself, and am genuinely pleased that i have.

Would i buy a bottle

Yes i would, it’s a good bottling from Hunter Laing for Fèis Ìle 2019, at a really good price too. I could very easily spend time out sipping it.

Notes – This bottling is presented in it’s natural colour and non chill filtered.

This whisky was blind tasted with Ant and Nicky from the New Dram Drinker Youtube channel.

Thanks to – @newdramdrinker and @Mrs_NDD (both twitter).

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