Finlaggan Cask Strength Single Islay Malt Whisky 58%

Finlaggan is the name of the island in the loch from which the Lords of the Isles once ruled the Hebrides. The whisky carries the name but not the distillery, because who made it is something you do not get told.

The expert description

Finlaggan Cask Strength is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at cask strength 58%.

Behind the bottle stands The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, a family firm from Glasgow founded in 1992. They buy casks from an undisclosed Islay distillery and bottle them under the Finlaggan name, which is an entirely ordinary arrangement when a distillery sells casks on without wanting its name on the label.

Cask Strength is the heaviest in the range and is bottled without dilution, without chill filtration and without colouring. The 58% makes a difference you notice immediately: the smoke sits denser and oilier than the same whisky would at 46%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Deep peat smoke and burnt wood, enriched by subtle hints of iodine and seaweed of the kind Islay is known for.

Palate

Vigorous and full bodied with an intense wave of smoke and malt, and a slight underlying sweetness that balances the robust peat character.

Finish

Long and persistent with an enveloping warmth that gradually releases nuances of dark chocolate and spices.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Cask Strength
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 58%
Size: 70 CL
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Cask Strength

Flavour profile

Smoky · Peaty · Maritime · Spiced · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Finlaggan is a small island in Loch Finlaggan on Islay, and from here the Lords of the Isles governed much of the Scottish islands and the western seaboard in the Middle Ages. The ruins are still there, a couple of kilometres from the distillery nobody will put a name to.

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Frequently asked questions about Finlaggan Cask Strength

Which distillery does the whisky come from?

That is not disclosed. The Vintage Malt Whisky Company buys casks from an Islay distillery that does not want its name on the label. It is a common arrangement in the trade and says nothing about quality.

How strong is it?

58% and bottled without dilution. You notice it both in the smoke, which sits denser, and in the texture, which is oilier than at lower strength. It takes water very well in return.

What does it taste like?

Deep peat smoke and burnt wood on the nose with iodine and seaweed, powerful smoke and malt on the palate with an underlying sweetness, and a long warm finish of dark chocolate and spices.

Should you add water at 58%?

Here it makes sense. A few drops at a time open the sweetness beneath the smoke and bring the maritime notes forward. Go slowly, because it changes character noticeably along the way.

What does cask strength mean?

That the whisky is bottled straight from the cask without being diluted with water. The strength is therefore whatever the cask itself arrived at, not a level chosen afterwards.

How does it differ from the other Finlaggan releases?

By strength and concentration alone. Old Reserve and Original sit at 40%, Eilean Mor and the cask finished versions at 46%, while Cask Strength is the outer edge of the range. See our full selection of Islay Whisky.

Which glass is recommended?

A tulip-shaped glass with a narrow rim. At 58% the alcohol can easily overpower the nose in a wide glass. See our whisky glasses.