Comments on: Port Askaig: New Single Islay Malt Range

By: Port Askaig Harbour 19 year old tasting notes | The Whisky Exchange BLOG

Port Askaig Harbour 19 year old tasting notes | The Whisky Exchange BLOG — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:11:41 +0000

[...] with great regret that we must announce that the Port Askaig 17 year-old – Speciality Drinks’ superb mystery single Islay malt which became the whisky version [...]

By: MJ Klein

MJ Klein — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 04:38:06 +0000

i bought a bottle in Kaoshiang, Taiwan (cask strength). i found the charcoal flavor to be overpowering, even mediciney. maybe the 17 y/o is better developed.

By: bgulien

bgulien — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:40:59 +0000

George, why don’t you try one.
They are pretty good value and very drinkable.

By: Tim F

Tim F — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:35:01 +0000

George, this IS a single malt from islay – SDL just aren’t saying which distillery it was made at, partly for contractual reasons and partly because they don’t want the PA brand to be tied to a particular distillery. If you google Port Askaig, you’ll quickly find which distillery most people think it’s from. There are several other ‘mystery’ single malts out there, including Ileach, Smokehead and Finlaggan. They are all genuine single malts, but for whatever reason the bottlers are keeping the distillery info to themselves. Hope this reassures you.

By: George Campbell

George Campbell — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:56:05 +0000

This whole franchise seems a bit fishy seeing as there is not much information on how and where it is made? Plus the fact that the distillery does not and has never existed therefore it isnt a single malt… very weird.

By: thkorent

thkorent — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:02:48 +0000

Have now sampled all 3 of the Askaigs and find them quite impressive. My local whisky dealer tells me they are carefully selected single barrels of Caol Ila. Which I found hard to believe at first when we did some comparative tastings – the Askaig has done much better for my palate. Well worth the money, given what other Islay Whiskys are priced at these days.

By: Chap

Chap — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:49:31 +0000

Nicely done on the cask work! It’s tempting to try out one of these days…

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 13:34:35 +0000

Hi,
Remember me? I am from the adventure with 14 bottles of Askaig, put in 10 ltr new oak cask to experience the maturing myself.
The original plan was to let it mature for 5 Years or shorter, depending on the results. The planned tastings were after 3 months, half a year, year 2 years and so on.
After I went to a Bruichladdig tasting a month ago and heard that they had a whisky they stopped maturing after 3 months in new oak, I reckoned that it was better to do the first tasting after a month and a half, six weeks.
I was of course a bit scared that I would be obligated to pore the whisky right back into the bottles, because it could worsen instead of become better.
The result is amazing in terms of speed. After 6 weeks the color is remarkable darker and warmer, the crystal clearness is gone however. Take a look at the picture (URL).
Nose: The strong peat and coal smoke stayed, but is now more disguised in a variety of caramel , vanilla, lemon, red cedar, leathers, candy and cookies.
Taste: The aroma’s are sweeter, the red cedar has entered the playing field, it tastes more complex than the original, it is certainly an improvement and better than I expected after only 6 weeks..
All and All: I am still enjoying the Port Askaig Cask Strength in new oak adventure!
Will keep you informed!
Cheers

By: Singapore Math Method » Blog Archive » Craobh Haven

Singapore Math Method » Blog Archive » Craobh Haven — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:32:56 +0000

[...] Port Askaig: New Single Islay Malt Range | The Whisky Exchange BLOG [...]

By: Port Askaig Roundup – Comparing CS, 17 and 25 year « Scotch Hobbyist’s Blog

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:58:03 +0000

[...] (and why I’m referring to them as Caol Ilas), check out my full PA 17 review and/or this introductory post on The Whisky Exchange Blog. In order to do the comparison, I ordered 30 ml samples of the whole [...]

By: bgulien

bgulien — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 21:29:09 +0000

Right, sweet is OK.
Thinking Caol Ila, I think it’s between 10 and 12 yo.
My money is somewhere in the 12 yo region.
Tim, can you enlighten us a bit about the age?

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:41:56 +0000

I don’t mind sweet, the time is variable, let it depend on the development. How old is this CS you think?

By: bgulien

bgulien — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:49:16 +0000

Nice cask!

By: bgulien

bgulien — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:33:26 +0000

How long will you let the cask mature?
Will be very sweet in new oak, I think.

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:32:21 +0000

Sorry, now with the URL

http://picasaweb.google.nl/johan.houwaard/AskaigInNewOak#

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:31:38 +0000

Here is a picture

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:16:20 +0000

The CS

By: bgulien

bgulien — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:59:43 +0000

Which one…the CS, the 17,or the 25yo?

By: Johan Houwaard

Johan Houwaard — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:20:01 +0000

Hi,

A lot of people call me crazy, but I am starting an adventure with 14 botles of Askaig and will put it in 10 ltr new oak cask to expirience the maturing myself, will let you know the results.

Johan

By: Port Askaig 17: International Dram of Mystery « Scotch Hobbyist’s Blog

Fri, 22 May 2009 02:51:16 +0000

[...] The Whisky Exchange Blog – Tim F. writes about the new Port Askaig releases, and provides his own tasting notes for the 17 year. [...]

By: bgulien

bgulien — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:39:29 +0000

As I read your good little newspaper, you are in for another couple of years of engineering, because of the width of the new ship.
It’s always good to sit in front of the PA hotel with something to eat and a nice dram. Lot’s of things happening around.
Hope to look at your great old bottles in the autumn.
Oh yeah, and the PA whisky does you proud ;-)

By: Marion

Marion — Wed, 20 May 2009 14:30:09 +0000

Now in pride of place on the gantry – all 3 – tried the 17 – very nice – who said Ardbeg? – they have no 17 for them selves?? am I wrong – I certainly hope I am correct and the whisky is from a distillery not too far from our door – to the visitor – although we have been a bit down at heel with 7+ years of civil engineering – we are back on track and hopefully we have more to offer than port facilities -Port Askaig Hotel is the oldest licenced premises on the island being around 500 yrs old – a drove inn and ‘Old Port Bar’ has some great old bottles to admire – lots more malts to try – a low ceiling, lots of character and a real Islay welcome from the owners – the family celebrating 50 years @ Port Askaig. Slainte!

By: bgulien

bgulien — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:11:09 +0000

Having received the 17 yo and the CaskStrength today, I immediately went for the CS.
Everybody reviewed the 17 yo already.
I must say this CS is something else.
For a young whisky (can you at least say how young, Tim?) this is a very mature whisky and when added a few drops of water changed it’s behaviour and became much more civilized.
I have written some more notes on the John Hansell blog.
http://blog.maltadvocate.com/2009/05/04/review-port-askaig-islay-single-malts/

By: Henry Alley » Single malt Scotch

Henry Alley » Single malt Scotch — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:18:51 +0000

[...] The Whisky Exchange BLOG » Port Askaig: New Single Islay Malt Range [...]

By: Port Askaig › WhiskyNotes

Port Askaig › WhiskyNotes — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:25:11 +0000

[...] a good review of the 17yo on Tim’s TWE blog, so I’ll be reviewing the other two for now, starting tomorrow with the Port Askaig Cask [...]