Clan Denny Islay Edition Small Batch Release Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%

Peat smoke, seaweed and sea air with no distillery name to steer your expectations. Clan Denny Islay Edition lets you meet the island on its own terms.

Expert description

Clan Denny Islay Edition Small Batch Release is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 40% without chill filtration and without added colouring.

Douglas Laing selected the casks as a portrait of Islay as a whole rather than of one particular house. The island has only a handful of working distilleries, and although the source is not disclosed the style is unmistakable: peat smoke, salt and a medicinal edge no other Scottish region delivers in quite the same way. Bottling without chill filtration and without colouring means both texture and colour are as the cask left them.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peat smoke, sea breeze and a light medicinal note of iodine and seaweed. Under the smoke sit vanilla, honey and a touch of citrus.

Palate

Round and silky with a clear balance between sweetness and smoke. Apple caramel, baked pear and candied orange meet salted liquorice, bonfire smoke and a hint of nuts. The oak provides a lightly spiced frame.

Finish

Long and persistent with peat smoke, warm spice and a slowly fading sweetness that leaves salt sea air and dark chocolate.

Specifications

Name: Clan Denny Islay Edition Small Batch Release Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 40%
Bottler: Douglas Laing
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40 %
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Small Batch Release Islay Edition
EAN no.: 5014218817904

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Sweet · Salted · Medicinal

Did you know?

Islay is only about 40 kilometres long but supplies a wildly disproportionate share of the world's peated whisky. The peat there is formed from moss, heather and seaweed, and it is the seaweed that gives the maritime, iodine-like note you do not find in mainland peat.

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Frequently asked questions about Clan Denny Islay Edition

How smoky is it?

Clearly smoky, but not extreme. The peat sits as a frame around fruit and sweetness rather than drowning them, and 40% keeps it from turning sharp. It is a good way into the Islay style.

What do non-chill filtered and natural colour mean?

That the whisky has neither been chilled and filtered to avoid haze, nor coloured with caramel. The texture is fuller, and the colour is exactly what the cask gave.

Why is the distillery not named?

Because the release is conceived as a regional expression, and because distilleries often sell casks on condition that the name is not used. You are buying the Islay character rather than a particular house.

What food goes with it?

Smoked salmon, oysters or a ripe blue cheese. The salt and smoke meet the richness in the food, and the medicinal edge cuts through without taking over.

What does Islay whisky taste like in general?

Smoke, salt, seaweed and often an iodine note, with sweetness and fruit underneath. There is wide variation between distilleries — see the full spread in our range of Islay Whisky.

Is it too much for a beginner?

Not necessarily. It is milder than many classic Islay bottlings, and the sweetness makes the smoke easier to approach. If you are trying the style for the first time, this is a sensible place to start.