Scarabus 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt - Hunter Laing (70cl, 46%)

Scarabus 10 Year Old is an Islay single malt bottled by Hunter Laing at 46% in a 70cl bottle, without chill-filtration or added colouring. It matures for at least ten years in refill bourbon casks and new American oak casks, and sweet Islay peat smoke remains its defining feature. Scarabus is a place on Islay, and the name comes from an old Norse term for a rocky place. The label refers to John Francis Campbell, the Islay-born inventor of a sunshine recorder, who also collected Celtic folk tales. The nose has strong peat smoke, old leather and pronounced malt, with a little menthol behind. The palate is full, with earthy peat, smoke and leather over a light sweetness of pale sugar syrup. The finish is long and soft.