Editor’s Note: This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by MacDuff International. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review.
Islay Mist has been around since the 1920s and was originally created on the isle of Islay as the name suggests. They have taken whisky from Laphroaig and some Speyside distilleries. The label carries the seal of the Lord of the Isles because it was originally blended for the heir Lord Margadale of the Laird of Islay House in 1927 for his 21st birthday. Now, a gold medal winning whisky, it still carries the seal after several label redesigns.
It all started as a blend because the family was afraid that regular Islay whisky would be too heavy for the majority of its birthday celebration guests. That is why you have the peat of a Laphroaig, the maltiness of a highlands whisky, and the grain from a lowland whisky giving this a more complex flavor than the knock your socks off peat flavor that normally comes from the isles.
It is said that when young Morrison was asked which whisky he would like served at the party he replied; ‘That will put them all in a bit of a fog Ian,’ to which Laphroaig distiller Ian Hunter replied: ‘Not a fog… more like an Islay mist!’. The rest, shall we say, has become Islay Mist’s beginning.
Islay Mist Blended Scotch Whisky also comes aged 10 and 12 years. Owned by MacDuff International, Islay Mist recently won International Spirits Challenge, IWSC (International Wine and Spirit Competition), Women’s Wine and Spirits Awards in 2019. All gold medals and previous silver medals.
Tasting Notes: Islay Mist 8 Year Old
Vital Stats: 80 proof; aged 8 years; distilled, blended and bottled in Scotland; $24
Color: Burnished copper
Nose: It smells like a smokey cave. The nose is very earthy and outdoorsy like your standing on the edge of a river bank or at the edge of the sea.
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Palate: A more mild flavor than your typical Islay scotch since it is a blend. It is pleasantly tangy. There are definitely smoke and peat flavors but it’s not overwhelming like Laphroaig. It has a more balanced profile.
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