Fàilte air ais. Today we are taking a look at a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky yet again. Before we start let me clarify it here that a Blended Malt is a whisky that consists of Single Malts only from different distilleries. THERE IS NO GRAIN WHISKY INVOLVED IN A BLENDED MALT. Now that we clarified that, let me tell you why I decided to pick up this bottle. I really like whiskies from the islands, one of my favourite distillery is Highland Park from the isle of Orkney for example. This bottle consists of six single malts from six islands as the name would suggest, so what could go wrong here?

The Island region and Island Single Malts of Scotland

Island single malts are the single malt Scotch whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. The islands (excluding Islay) are not recognised in the Scotch Whisky Regulations as a distinct whisky producing region, but are considered to be part of the Highland region. Islay is itself recognised as a distinct whisky producing region.

Other sources, however, indicate that the Islands, excluding Islay, constitute a sixth distinct region. This unofficial region includes the following whisky-producing islands: Arran, Jura, Mull, Orkney, and Skye: with their respective distilleries: Arran, Jura, Tobermory, Highland Park, Scapa and Talisker.

There are more islands and more distilleries than the ones above. Simply they are the ones that are "recognized as the un-recognized Island regions".

These are all the distilleries on all the islands (excluding Islay) in Scotland that are built and are currently making whiskies.

• Abhainn Dearg distillery, on Lewis
• Harris distillery, on Harris
• Arran distillery, on Arran
• Highland Park distillery, in Orkney
• Isle of Raasay distillery, on Raasay
• Jura distillery, on Jura
• Saxa Vord distillery, on Unst
• Scapa distillery, in Orkney
• Talisker distillery, on Skye
• Torabhaig distillery, on Skye
• Tobermory distillery, on Mull, producing Tobermory and Ledaig

The Six Isles Batch Strength - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 58%

"A sensory voyage through the malt whiskies of the Islands of Scotland

The Six Isles brings together exceptional single malts from six different Scottish islands.

Unbound by a single style or locale, these whiskies are connected by wilderness alone. Dawn breaking over the Black Cuillin of Skye. Waves crashing at nightfall on Jura. Spirits whispering at Orkney's standing stones. Each sip is the essence of island life, a tale no guidebook could ever convey.

This blend of malts creates new from the ancient. Rounded and complex to the last – each drop a passage to the rich landscapes of Scotland's islands.

The Six Isles is a true one-off, because nobody else brings together single malts from the six ancient islands of Scotlands: Islay, Skye, Orkney, Mull, Arran and Jura. The Six Isles is a celebration of craft, time and tide – and the painstaking craft of our master blender

Nobody else brings together the single malts from Islay, Skye, Orkney, Arran and Jura in a blended malt – because nobody else has secured access to precious stocks of all six whiskies. Raising a glass of The Six Isles is to take a journey by sea and land, into a whirlpool of complex flavours."

Let's talk about this whisky a bit more. Let's speculate. Islay, Skye, Orkney, Mull, Arran and Jura. From which distilleries are the malt whiskies from? 

I think this whisky is a blend of Caol Ila from Islay, Talisker from Skye, Highland Park from Orkney, Machrie Moor from Arran, Ledaig from Mull and of course: Jura from Jura. 

This whisky is quite smoky, that is why I think it's Ledaig and not Tobermory. Also Machrie Moor (the lighlty peated spirit) from the isle of Arran. I think it's Caol Ila because they sell a lot of whisky to independent bottlers, maybe the most on Islay. I don't think that Torabhaig sells whisky to IB yet, that is why I think it's Talisker. Scapa sold very little whisky to IB from Orkney while Highland Park sells a lot to this day making it the more appropriate candidate. And Jura from Jura of course, since there is no other distillery on that island. This is my guess. But let's see what this whisky smells and tastes like.

Nose: Campfire smoke right away. The smoke dominates. Maritime notes. Lovely sea breeze and brine. Cold. It literally feels like standing on the shores of one of these islands in a cold day. Citrus fruits and vanilla. Salted caramel and green apples. Earthy peat and maltiness. A hint of iodine and tar. No sign of the high alcohol content.

Taste: Powerful and mouth-filling. Very heavy. The alcohol content is just right in my opinion. It's a bit untamed, rough as the sea. Black pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Mint. Earthy peat and smoldering wood. Lemond zest, green apples and pears. Vanilla and salted caramel. A hint of honey and maltiness. Iodine and ash. This is a very complex and satisfying taste for those who like rough, untamed whiskies in my opinion.

Finish: Long and dry. Peppery. Very earth and ashy. Vanilla sweetness with salted caramel. Great.

Overall I think this is a great whisky. It's rough on the edges and untamed but I think this is part of being an Island whisky. The ABV. is spot on and the ex-bourbon maturation really lets the distillates shine. This whisky is getting a solid 87 / 100. If you like peat, salt and rough whiskies then this is a bottle for you. I picked it up for around 40 euros and that's an amazing deal.

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Check out the points on all the whiskies I've rated and ranked head-to-head over HERE.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.