Island Hopper The Scalasaig Blended Malt (70cl, 43%)

The Scalasaig is a blended malt from the Island Hopper range, put together by the independent bottler Colonsay Beverages from casks gathered around the Scottish islands. It combines malts of differing peat levels from Orkney and Islay, aged between 6 and 8 years. The vatted whisky spent 18 months in first-fill Oloroso sherry hogsheads and is bottled at 43% in a 70cl bottle. Only 3000 bottles were filled. The nose is maritime, with toasted oak, biscuit and gingerbread. On the palate come BBQ sauce, flint, figs, rum-soaked fruit, dark chocolate and salty sherry notes. The finish is long, with vanilla pod, milk chocolate and peppery malt.