Finlaggan Port Finish Single Islay Malt Whisky 46%

Port and peat smoke ought not to work together. One is sweet and grapey, the other ashy and salty. The combination has nonetheless become one of the most used in modern Islay whisky, and here is why.

The expert description

Finlaggan Port Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in port casks, bottled at 46%.

The malt comes from an undisclosed Islay distillery, and The Vintage Malt Whisky Company has given it a spell in port wood after the main maturation. The port leaves red berries and a grapey sweetness that settle on top of the smoke rather than mixing into it, and that layering is the entire point of a finish.

At 46% the whisky has enough body to carry both, and it is neither chill filtered nor coloured. The reddish tone in the glass comes from the wood alone.

Tasting notes

Nose

Smoky and medicinal peat first, with a clear touch of red berries and grapes behind.

Palate

Plenty of port sweetness with the smoke lying underneath. Raisin, pepper, leather and red berries unfold as it goes.

Finish

Long with grape skin, dry smoke and a warm spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Port Finish
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in port casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Port Finish
EAN no.: 5024720313009

Flavour profile

Smoky · Fruity · Sweet · Spiced · Berry

Did you know?

A port cask, a pipe, holds around 550 to 650 litres, making it far larger than the bourbon casks the whisky sat in first. That means a port finish works more slowly than you might think, taking months where a small cask would have done the job in weeks.

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Frequently asked questions about Finlaggan Port Finish

What does port finish mean?

That after its main maturation in bourbon casks the whisky has had an extra period in casks that previously held port. The port leaves red berries and sweetness that settle on top of the peated base whisky.

What does it taste like?

Smoky and medicinal on the nose with red berries behind, port sweetness and raisin on the palate with the smoke underneath, and a long finish of grape skin and dry smoke. Sweetness and smoke sit in layers rather than blended together.

Do port and peat smoke suit each other?

Better than you would think. The fruit sweetness of the port gives the smoke something to push against, and because the finish is short the port never quite drowns the malt character sitting at the bottom.

Why is it darker than the other Finlaggan releases?

Because the port cask gives up colour. The whisky is not coloured with caramel, so the reddish tone comes purely from the wood and from the port that cask once held.

How does it differ from Finlaggan Original?

Strength and wood. Original is 40% and pure bourbon maturation, while Port Finish sits at 46% with an extra spell in port casks. That gives both more body and an entirely different layer of fruit.

Should you add water?

Try it neat first. At 46% it is balanced, but a few drops of water separate the smoke and the berries more clearly if you want them one at a time.

Which glass shows it best?

A tulip-shaped glass holds the volatile berry notes that otherwise disappear beneath the smoke. See our whisky glasses.