During this tasting we sampled the Port Askaig;
- 8yr old @45.8% ABV.
- 10yr old 10th Anniversary Edition @55.8% ABV.
- 15yr old @ 45.8% ABV.
- 19Yr old @50.4% ABV.
Port Askaig 8yr old 45.8% ABV
Appearance
This whiskey is white wine in colour, it has a nice thick swirl line, and slow thick legs.
Nose
Peat straight away, and plenty of it. There is a touch of lemon here, bbq meats, cherries, ash, and I’m getting grains. It’s becoming fruitier with time, tropical fruits I’d say.
Maybe artificial confectionary versions of tropical fruits, pineapple cubes etc? It's very faint for me though #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃 (@whiskeychap) July 2, 2021
Palate
Oooooh, spicier and not as peaty as I expected, nice twist. The peat is there, but tropical and stoned fruits are really pushing through, it’s rather nicely balanced, and some lovely spice too.
Finish
Medium long, gentle spice, smoke and fruit sweetness last. It is nicely balanced for me. I’d say cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, fire smoke, pineapple and lemon with apricots, perhaps a little marine like but not overly so.
My thoughts
My thoughts 🤔. This is an entry level whisky, and it’s bottled at a decent ABV. The flavours and aromas i found in are ok, but, there could be more in all honesty. I suppose when it comes down to it it is a little Plain, it’s not exciting, but if you like more peat than anything else or a peated cocktail it would be ideal.
Port Askaig 10yr old, 10th Anniversary Edition 55.8% ABV
Appearance
Light gold in colour, the swirl line beads up instantly with medium legs.
Nose
Whoosh, good ABV, no need for a nose hair trimmer for some time. The aromas are gentle, yes peat and ash, a stronger juniper/conifer aroma, dunnage, bbq sauce this time, a touch stronger than in the others.
Light red berries, grains and cereal, something like flapjack, and pencil shavings.
Strangely enough I’m getting an aroma I get with some speyside whiskies.#thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) July 2, 2021
Palate
Huge ABV, massive tasting! Hot cinnamon and ginger, atomic cinnamon kids sweets, lemons, grapefruit, pomelo, ash, bbq meats, wow.
Finish
Much like the palate plus star anise, cask char, black peppercorns, nice and long, very warming, and a touch of salt right at the end. This one is more flinty, mineral like, wet rocks/petrichor.
My thoughts
I did enjoy this, and the extra abv really does bring out more flavours, and it has more depth for me. As to whether i’d buy a bottle? i would be tempted, but i know i would compare it to other bottles currently available, and there’s a good chance i’d wander if in that direction.
Port Askaig 15yr old 45.8% ABV
Appearance
Mid to deep gold in colour, nice thick swirl line, it beads up and drops nice thick legs.
Nose
Totally different here, darker fruits mix with the peat/ash, there’s wood varnish, dunnage, cigar leaves, the dark fruits struggle to raise their heads tbh, I’m getting balsa wood, then dates, anise.
Palate
Straight away there more peat/ ash, definitely tropical fruits, decent mouthfeel too, and Sherry spicy, with ginger, black pepper, dates and prunes, a lovely waft of smoke that’s almost moving around. Again nicely balanced for me.
Finish
Long side of medium, spicy smoke, ash, red berries and red apple skin, pineapple, there’s clove and dates too, but they aren’t overly heavy.
My thoughts
This bottling is one that takes a bit of time to open up, quite a bit of time to be honest. As i said during the tasting you could very easily slam this back and not get anything from it. The wait is worth it in my opinion, darker fruits do eventually come through, it’s definitely no fruit bomb as such though. If i had the money i think i might buy one of these, it teases you with great potential in all honesty, but patience is definitely the word to describe the whisky in general.
Port Askaig 19yr old 50.4% ABV
Appearance
I’ll say damp straw in colour, swirl line beads up straight away with syrupy thick legs.
Nose
That ABV rise is immediately obvious, nosing with an open mouth I can taste it on the back of my palate. Lots of wood, forest leaf litter, a little bbq meat, a little menthol and juniper and more dunnage.
With time more red fruits come through, old style glazing putty, linseed oil, and toasted bread.
Sometimes I get toasted tea cakes 😉 #thewhiskeychaps
— Dram it Mick! (@StillSurreal) July 2, 2021
Palate
Nice mouthfeel, plenty of ash/peat, balanced with tropical fruits, a tea note is in there, super ABV, lovely and warming. Ginger, cinnamon, liquorice, I’m loving the mouthfeel.
Even at this ABV it’s not a peat slap across the face, just really warming, like sitting in front of an open fire. It’s becoming more ashy now, the fruits drop back a bit.
Finish
Long, very long for me, a lovely sweet/ ash/ peat mixture. Black coffee, black liquorice, star anise, cardamom, nutmeg again, leaf litter, and lemons.
My thoughts
I have to say there are aspects of this whisky that i rather enjoyed. Again the rise in ABV brings more to the nose and palate. I could see myself sipping on one of these, it all depends on price for me to be honest.
Overall tasting thoughts
I have wanted to taste whisky from this rather mysterious range for some time now, and to be honest i’m pleased that i now have. In general i enjoyed them all, they all have positive points but, apart from the 15yr old this vertical tasting revealed one main thing to me. It’s made me realise that the 8, 10 and 19yr olds are very similar, there isn’t lots between them aroma and flavour wise, and i would have expected more flavour and aroma differences over the 10-11 year gap between them.
I would suggest others try these whiskies, we’re all different after all, but i will say don’t be surprised if you don’t come away without the “Wow” factor.
And now for something completely different
It seems many whisky folk also love music, @newdramdrinker and myself have hosted metal/rock music evenings. I thought i would start embedding the odd track that i have been listening to during a whisky tasting or writing my whisky reviews. This time iv’e picked a Grunge banger, i hope you enjoy it.
