Elements of Islay Cask Edit Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 46%

Some smoky whiskies demand that you take a position immediately. Cask Edit is not one of them. It beds the smoke down in something soft and lets you decide how far into it you want to go.

The expert description

Elements of Islay Cask Edit is an Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky matured in bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

Where the rest of the range splits by cask type, bourbon on one side and sherry on the other, Cask Edit is where the two meet. Elixir Distillers has built it from smoky malts drawn from several Islay distilleries and let both American oak and sherry wood leave their mark. The bourbon casks give vanilla and body, the sherry casks sweetness and dark fruit, and the smoke runs through all of it without taking charge.

The result is the most approachable release in the range and a sensible place to begin if Islay is still unfamiliar ground. The 46% is chosen so the whisky has enough body to take a drop of water, and it is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Tasting notes

Nose

Soft peat smoke and sea spray, a light mineral edge, and vanilla, citrus and pale fruit behind it.

Palate

Well balanced. Smoke and ash meet caramel, candied fruit and malt, with a discreet sherry sweetness as counterweight.

Finish

Medium length with smoke, oak and a mild spiced warmth.

Specifications

Name: Elements of Islay Cask Edit
Distillery: Elixir Distillers
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon and sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Elements of Islay
EAN no.: 5060880920411

Flavour profile

Smoky · Maritime · Fruity · Sherry matured · Soft

Did you know?

Elements of Islay took its name and its design from the periodic table, giving each bottling a letter code instead of a distillery name. The idea was that you should judge the whisky on what was inside rather than on the label, and the code was only just difficult enough that most people could crack it.

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Frequently asked questions about Elements of Islay Cask Edit

What does Elements of Islay Cask Edit taste like?

Soft coastal smoke with sea spray on the nose, caramel and candied fruit on the palate, and a medium finish of oak and mild spice. The smoke is clear but rounded off by the sherry casks and never tips into tar.

How does Cask Edit differ from the other releases in the range?

The wood. Bourbon Cask and Sherry Cask each stick to one cask type and are bottled at higher strength, while Cask Edit combines both at 46%. That makes it the mildest and most balanced of the three.

Is it a good place to start with Islay?

Yes. The smoke is manageable, the sweetness from the sherry wood makes it friendly, and the strength is high enough to give the whisky body. To go further, we carry a large range of Islay Whisky.

What does Blended Malt mean?

That the whisky is made from single malts from several distilleries and contains no grain whisky. Here every malt comes from Islay, which makes it a blended Islay malt rather than an ordinary blend.

Which distilleries are used?

That is not disclosed. Elixir Distillers chose from the outset to keep its sources secret, and that applies across the whole Elements of Islay range.

Should you add water?

Try it neat first. At 46% it is already rounded, but a single drop of water loosens the citrus notes and softens the smoke. Go much further and the sweetness thins out.

Which glass is recommended?

A tulip-shaped glass with a narrow rim, so the smoke does not escape into the room before you get to smell it. See our whisky glasses.