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Isle of Skye Double Smoke 12 Year Old Review

Does a 12-year-old blend called Double Smoke really bring a double hit of peat? We taste Isle of Skye's newest expression to find out how smoky it truly is.

OVERALL RATING

7
$27.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Isle of Skye introduces Double Smoke whisky. A bold new expression: Isle of Skye Double Smoke. The new addition to Isle of Skye’s top-selling portfolio carries a 12-Year age statement and delivers a double measure of smoke. Isle of Skye Double Smoke combines heavily-peated island malts with sweet, full-bodied mainland whiskies.

“Double Smoke is all about balance,” said John Glass, Master Blender at Ian Macleod Distillers. “We’ve brought together intensely peated island malts with rich Highland whiskies to create a profile that’s bold yet approachable. It’s layered with smoky depth, but there’s also sweetness, fruit, and warmth woven through it. Every element is designed to reflect the beauty and complexity of Skye itself.”

First blended in 1933 using Master Blender Ian Macleod’s family recipe, Isle of Skye Whisky has carried the essence of its rugged namesake for nearly a century. That legacy continues with Double Smoke, an exciting evolution of one of Scotland’s most storied whiskies and a new benchmark in the range.
Appearance:
Tawny clear color with thin and fast legs which don’t linger long. Tasted neat in a Glencairn.
Nose:
Lovely aroma of soft smoke wrapped in vanilla and oak. Light fruits almost like hard candy.
Palate:
Drying smoke but not overpowering to the palate. Nice darker sugars and fruits with a note of rubber.
Finish:
Medium finish with burned oak, soft sugars and linger notes of tea spice.
Comments:
This is a great blended Scotch with a nice body and profile. To be honest, this was not as peaty as I had anticipated. It is very approachable and an easy access point for someone trying to see what a nice blend with just enough peat to be interesting is about. This is one of those very dangerous whiskies. You get a few friends together and start talking around a campfire or poker table, and pretty soon it’s well into the next morning and the bottle is empty. I think, for what it is, it’s a great bottle for new enthusiasts or friends to gather with.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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