New Port Askaig 17 Year Old

Last month I tasted the new 8 year old and the new cask strength batch 1 2023 single malts. I have just recently received a sample of the new 17 year old. This is the final expression in the Port Askaig’s new range with this 17 year old to be a yearly ongoing edition with only 9000 bottles available of this 2023 edition. Matured in American oak and bottled at 50.5% Alc/vol.

Let us now have a taste of this dram.

Port Askaig – 17 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 50.5% Alc/vol, 70 cl

Colour…Shiny Spring barley gold.

Nose…Smoky peat without the fire, fruity, sea spray and wet beach pebbles.
Taste…More smoke on the palate, a perfect balance between smoke and sweetness, great mouth feel, adding a little water you get smoked mussels and Arbroath smokies, sweetness comes in the form of red fruits and berries, quite complex and very pressing to the palate.
Finish…Long finish with the smoke and the sweetness lingering longest in an old fashioned way.

With a price a shade over £120.00, it is not too expensive for a well-aged Islay single malt. I really enjoyed this fine dram. I think that the  Islay Whisky in this expression comes from my favourite Islay, Caol Ila. If anyone knows something different please let me know.