Smokehead Islay Single Malt

I've recently discovered that one of the great benefits of the holiday season is the availability of distillery miniature tasting sets, or more accurately, the post-holiday sale price. I acquired a three-pack of Smokehead for a mere AUD$20. A nice, inexpensive way to explore mysterious (*cough* Caol Ila *cough*) Islay sourced peated malts. I'm eager to try the Rum Rebel again, which I had some time ago, but I have no expectations for the other two in the pack and am content to just go with the flow. Nose: A slightly oily arrival with pleasant phenolic and maritime (wet seaweed and brine) characteristics. The peat is unmistakable, permeating everything with a strong rubber and a lesser ashy wood smoke profile. Softer malt notes are present, like buttered, toasted brioche. The longer I let it sit, the more a light apple juice sweetness emerges. Nothing here is overwhelming, as you might expect from packaging adjectives like 'monstrous'; instead, it's quite restrained and enjoyable. Palate: A soft and juicy arrival with good body. It quickly develops a lightly honied maltiness, which is then flooded with a strongly ashy (and perhaps mineral?) smoke. A medicinal and slightly peppery-to-chilli sensation appears towards the end. The progression is simple, but not uninteresting. The juicy sweetness, though generic, is refreshing against the somewhat one-dimensional smoke if you focus on it. The brininess from the nose is barely present, interrupted by a late spirit presence that slightly detracts from the overall palate. Finish: Long. Ashy, briny, and a bit mineral, with plenty of chilli spice. Alright, alright, I'm not disappointed. It would be unreasonable to expect much from an almost novelty-branded NAS mystery malt at a very low price for my Australian market; but you get a lot. Enjoyable nose, a decent but slightly young palate, good texture, and a lasting finish. The official score of 69 here is unwarranted; the average user score seems to arrive at a reasonable conclusion. An acceptable, perfectly enjoyable, straightforward peat-focused dram. A good introduction to Islay? Probably not. But, a good one for fans of smoky cocktails or when you don't want to overthink your smoky pour, absolutely. I am reminded, though, that JW Double Black exists for this exact purpose (in my opinion), and it's a bit cheaper, a little more interesting, and probably my preferred choice. Whiskey taste #158 [Shown here with a skull-branded whisky. This skull is a replica of the famous 'Lucy', the approximately 40% complete fossil of a female Australopithecus afarensis discovered in the Afar valley of Ethiopia in 1974. Lucy's other name is Dinkinesh, meaning 'you are marvelous' in the local Amharic language. This beautiful specimen is 3.2 million years old and illustrates a crucial aspect of the evolutionary history of modern humans: that bipedalism developed before significant increases in brain size.]

Smokehead, the enigmatic single malt from Islay, bottled by Ian Macleod, originates from an undisclosed Islay distillery. Many speculate it's a young Ardbeg, others a young Lagavulin. The truth is a well-guarded secret, and in my opinion, it's Caol Ila. A visually appealing bottle with a skull emblem, suggesting intense peat, perhaps like an Octomore, but it's actually very easy to drink, highly approachable, and quite sweet. Bottled at 43% ABV, with a burnished gold hue. On the nose, it's surprisingly complex for what appears to be a young whisky. Features notes of merthiolate, smoke, vanilla, a maritime character, peat, and plastic. There's a hint of cheap citrus, burning grass, incense, moss, and foam. After a second taste, it revealed fondant, mangrove swamp, a metallic tang like a penny, and aged oranges. On the palate, it's very sweet, not particularly peaty, and not a challenging whisky. Notes of chocolate, honeycomb, salt, sulphur, and vanilla. Hay and dry grass. Abundant vanilla. The aftertaste brings in a mild, pleasant peatiness. Smoke, pepper, peat, and earthy notes. A long, spicy, and sulphuric finish. I believe this is a skillfully made, very enjoyable peaty whisky that's exceptionally easy to drink and rather sweet, which is why it works. For me, this is Caol Ila because: 1. Caol Ila is the most accessible Islay whisky for independent bottlers; cask offerings are plentiful and not costly. Smokehead isn't an expensive bottle. 2. The subtle citrus flavors and aromas resemble Caol Ila spirits I've tried before, especially younger independent bottlings. 3. The sweetness is very reminiscent of Johnnie Walker, and Caol Ila is a key component in their blends. 4. The peat level (ppm) of this dram is too low for any Ardbeg spirit. Any Lagavulin spirit would be too expensive. It could be Bruichladdich, but it lacks their soapy profile; it could be Bunnahabhain, but peat isn't their specialty. Kilchoman is more fruity, and Bowmore leans towards cigarette/tobacco. Laphroaig is powerfully medicinal and has a distinct rubber ball note, quite different from this, which strongly resembles a Caol Ila. I may be mistaken, but this is my assessment. The whisky is good; I would purchase a full bottle. My rating is 85 out of 100.

Nose: Smoke, herbal / black tea, campfire, wood, salt/saline, seaside Palate: Tobacco, dried fruit, dates, peat smoke, sweet and dry Finish: Leather, charred wood, slightly ashy. Souring on the aftertaste This lacks the nuance and layers of many Islay malts. Its youthfulness brings out some of the sweet smoky flavors. It's also not as smoky as the marketing suggests. This is a very easy-drinking dram, more suited for 'drinking with friends' than 'contemplating by the fireplace'. A pretty decent entry-level smoky dram. I avoid considering price when reviewing a whisky – and I haven't let it affect my overall score. However, while the recommended retail price is around £35, I've frequently seen it in supermarkets for about £22-£25, which I consider a bargain. I purchased my bottle for £20 on sale while doing my weekly shopping and couldn't resist trying it. I'm glad I did!

Smoky, creamy sweetness, meat, jerky, BBQ, cigarette, tobacco - 3.25 Creamy, complex, meaty, oily texture, a little bitterness, woody, oaky, vanilla, caramel - 2.5 Strong, lasting oaky smoke - 2.5 8.25 2.75 Cough syrup sweetness, honey, maple syrup, a bit of spice, strong complexity, smells like Caol Ila 12YO - 3 Spicy at first, but it gets overwhelmed by some flat notes that dull it down. In time, though, you get more smokiness and a nice earthy, herbaceous smoke, with bitterness, earthy notes - 2.75 Smoke and low to medium lasting smoke - 2.5

A smoky spirit on the nose, but it lacks substance. Others have apparently noted this. It's quite drinkable – smooth, with vanilla and oak notes. The smoke is merely an illusion, which is disappointing. The saline/iodine finish isn't as pronounced as some have suggested; in fact, I detected none. It's still a reasonably enjoyable scotch, but for the cost, many better options exist.

It's drinkable, but the marketing sets expectations for more than an inoffensive sweet scotch with a hint of peat. It's not bold enough to be a go-to Islay, but it might serve as an introduction to the style. I have no confirmation of sherry cask finishing, but its sweet richness does suggest it.