Review: Hoebeg Islay Single Malt

Category: Islay single malt scotch whisky

Origin: Undisclosed Islay distillery

Bottling: Robert Graham

ABV: 40%

Cost: £37.99 from Robert Graham

What they say:

Our very own exclusive bottling of a single malt from Islay. A Gold Medal winner in the international Spirits Award 2013. Burnt wood and soot on the nose give way after a moment to seaweed and cured meats, with a touch of prawn cocktail. The palate is deceptively light at first, with a real meatiness that builds as you chew. Slightly earthy, with lashes of sea salt. Smoked bacon and maple syrup sweetness forms the body, with the smoke held in the background…but on swallowing, after the first punch of thick smoke, the embers and salt linger, erasing any remaining sweetness. Smoky and smouldering, but develops slowly rather than assaulting the tastebuds: “What first appears to be a big roaring Islay turns out to be a smoky kitten” (Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible).

What I say:

Dram#4 from The Dram Team Incredible Indies tasting set was this award-winning undisclosed Islay single malt bottled by Robert Graham.

Colour:

Sauternes wine deep gold (9/20), numerous oily and thick tears and legs

Nose:

peat smoke on sweet vanilla ice cream, malty, lactic, farmyard, peated barley grist, cereal grain

Palate:

rich, syrupy, caramel sauce, earthy peat, maple syrup, pepper, smoked gammon, sticking plasters

Finish:

Medium long, touch of liquorice, eucalyptus, mouthwash, peat smoke and honey with salted caramel

Overall:

I could spend happily a lot of time with this, just sipping and enjoying it, it is peaty Islay but so gentle and subtle and velvety soft.

Score: 90/100

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