Duthies Islay region blended malt whisky ~ 46% (Wm Cadenhead)

• 46% ABV, £28.50 for cl
• Score: 84/100

What they say:

Duthies range of whiskies are from Wm Cadenhead’s, within this range are 4 blended malts highlighting specific regions of Scotland

What I say:

Duthies Islay Blend is an all malt blend of unspecified Islay malts (possibly likely to vary from batch to batch dependent upon availability?)

Colour:

Refractive yellow gold

Nose:

A little new paint, some cereal barley, gentle peat smoke, a tad medicinal and some tangy sea salt are in there with a sprinkling of pine-nuts and a light honey, some lemon cream and lime citrus notes, lactic maltiness.

Taste:

Creamy and buttery in texture with a good balanced honey sweetness, some menthol, eucalyptus and white pepper spice develops. Liqourice and ashy earthen peat develop with a salted caramel, seaweed, creamy vanilla and lemon custard

Finish:

Long, ashen peat smoke and mouth-coating, almost waxy, sweet citric and vanilla with oak wood

Overall:

Reasonably complex and very full-bodied, there are distinct elements in here that I would possibly ascribe to Bowmore (citrus), Caol Ila (Ashen peat), Laphroaig (Briny, medicinal and nutty), Bunnahabhain (earthy/nutty) and possibly even Ardbeg & Lagavulin (malty/lactic). Initially I was perhaps underwhelmed by this, however the more I drink the more multi-faceted and expertly constructed it appears. It is fair to say I now have a healthy appreciation of this blended malt which does exactly what it says on the bottle. This is a perfect dram that encapsulates just about every aspect of Islay malts in some part.