The Ileach Cask Strength
2023 Islay Single Malt | NAS | 58% ABV
Score: 6/10
Good Stuff.
TL;DR
Powerful smoke, a zing of youth and money in the pocket. What’s not to like?
The gift of whisky keeps on giving.
It’s Wednesday and I should be kicking back and watching someone refurbish a rusty anchor on YouTube or some other time sink, but instead I find myself stroking my chin and staring at the illuminated supershelf.
I try to abstain from whisky between Monday and Thursday afternoon but it’s been a bit of a task already and I’m approaching a week of campervan holiday stress. It’s enough to force one to pour a whisky.
Which whisky though? I have such riches lining the shelves right now it’s almost impossible including several Ardnamurchan: the recent sherry cask, Paul Launois, Aberdeen single cask, hand-fill PX magic, Doddie Cask et al. I have the Raasay Distillery Exclusive Tourism Destination of the Year Award 2022 and, despite not setting me on fire, is still worthy of another check. Any of the hand-fills from Campbeltown would do it. Even auld Doog’s bottle from the Cadenhead’s Creations Blending Lab is good. But tonight I reached for something else. Something surprising.
Earlier this year on his monthly voyage into the motherland, my friend who brings a new bottle of whisky for us to crack open together each time he visits, laid down a bottle of something called “The Ileach” with a look of suspicion. Knowing he’s not into peat, his pick was interesting, if only for his own enjoyment of said bottle. I said as much, and the reply was that the reviews below the bottle on Master of Malt said it was good, and he was game for it.
Fair play. I’d heard of The Ileach but had never tried it. It certainly ticks some boxes in presentation - nice paper on the box, simple yet premium presentation of label and a rich, golden hue in bottle. The words “Cask Strength” stand out immediately given my penchant for tinkering, but there’s no mention of colouring or filtration… regardless, soon we’re in about it. Drinking outside is magic and on the night in question we started with a Maclean’s Nose calibrator and, after many drams of Tomatin CS, Glen Scotia Victoriana and The Ileach, decided Maclean’s Nose was to be the continuator. The Ileach in that company fell short, feeling too bright, too young.
You know me, I’m not one to shy away from young whisky, so stuck it aside for more thorough appraisal at another time. Then it disappeared into the garage to make way for a reshuffle of the supershelves, and suddenly it was out of sight, out of mind. Tonight when I was thinking of what to indulge on what should be a dry day, I peered into the garage and caught sight of the tall monochrome box - that’ll do nicely.
Review
Batch released, NAS Islay - Chill-filtered and tinted, 58% ABV
£40 - widely available
Score: 6/10
Good Stuff.
TL;DR
Powerful smoke, a zing of youth, and money in the pocket. What’s not to like?
Nose
Interesting soft smoky pavement. Smells fresh, if fresh was a steaming bit of tarmac. Coastal. Celery and peppery greens. Rye crackers. Salty sourdough. Sour cream and chive crackers. Plastic tub. Hint of smelly drains. Crackerbread with salted butter on top. Wee earthy poke - soil in a plastic bag. Sandy. Sweet cedar wood. Cream crackers.
Palate
Big smoky sweetness, bit of pepper and fish supper. Nice tarry rope - there’s a vivid coastal vibe to this whisky. Savoury lick before earthy smoke fills the face, tapering to a salty briquet of coal. Peat becomes more prominent the longer it sits. Bright creamy whack of new-make. Loads of peppery, yet not burning, spice. Not cinnamon, but more star anise type - edgy, sharp, sour, sweet. Burnt sugar.
The Dregs
Peated whisky isn’t my go-to dram for simple pleasure, but something about this whisky causes another pour to fall into the glass with surprising willingness. Tonight I’ve poured alongside it a dram of the Raasay Distillery Tourism bottle, one that I just reviewed and upset a few people.
Alongside the Raasay, the The Ileach whisky is not just holding its own, it’s singing - the robust smokiness alongside a fresh, bright, tangy spirit is raising eyebrows. Turning back to the Raasay after a while, it definitely has more subtleties going on: more complexity even, that takes more energy to extract. It’s certainly a lot more tart and delivers a punchy Bakewell zing. The Illeach in contrast has a really approachable toffee sweetness mingled among the other more prominent notes - an aniseed ball floats in between smoky coastal saltiness and rich burnt sugar.
What to make of it? Well because it was a gift I’ve not checked how much it cost - etiquette dictates at least two weeks to pass before googling the price. £40. This surprises me, for I expected it to be up in the sixties. A bit more searching reveals, via WhiskyBase, The Ileach to be both coloured and chill-filtered, which is disappointing given the 58% ABV bottling strength. Odd. Some comments on WhiskyBase mention this whisky as being similar to Lagavulin 16, some even going the full hog and saying it is Lagavulin whisky. But the prevailing sentiment is of this bottling being Caol Ila - a more measured, and sensible guess given the prevalence of Caol Ila in independent bottlings.
Nonetheless, I return to the glass and continue to enjoy each sip. Given my proximity to the Raasay review and how I feel about that whisky, I start to sweat at what lies before me: is this £40 fiddled whisky more engaging to me than a £95 integrity whisky? Am I just a simple boy with a recycled tongue? The price alone is enough to make The Ileach worthy of a look. It has smoke, sweetness, sourness and saltiness. It makes a good impact with the higher ABV and is legitimately confirmed as moreish. Ach, so be it. It is what it is. Value propositions are becoming harder to find, so let it be known that in Auld Doog’s opinion this 2023 The Ileach Cask Strength whisky, if you fancy a fairly priced smoker of an evening, delivers solid bang for buck.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DC
-
Dramface is free.
Its fierce independence and community-focused content is funded by that same community. We don’t do ads, sponsorships or paid-for content. If you like what we do you can support us by becoming a Dramface member for the price of a magazine.
However, if you’ve found a particular article valuable, you also have the option to make a direct donation to the writer, here: buy me a dram - you’d make their day. Thank you.
For more on Dramface and our funding read our about page here.
