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PEAT Pure Islay is the accomplice to the PEAT full proof, swapping its high batch strength for a more friendly 45%. It was created using single malt whisky from a handful of distilleries across northern and southern Islay. Aromas of thick cut bacon being cooked over smouldering coals on the beach. Hickory smoke to the fore on the palate with hints of Lapsang Souchong tea, lashings of salted caramel and dark chocolate developing. Soggy baked apple fade into the finish leaving a heavy smoke with hints of sweet spice and truffle salt.

Bottled from a selection of casks both young and old from an undisclosed distillery on Islay, the Port Askaig series personifies the Islay style - dense smoke, sea spray and a hint of lemon and liquorice (suggesting one distillery in particular). The peat smoke lingers on the palate with salted caramel, herbal notes and a slow drying finish. Bottled at a robust 57.1% so do try it with a dash or two of water.

As the very limited mature stocks of whisky on Islay dwindle, we see fewer and fewer expressions of old whisky from the Island, which makes this 28 year old from Port Askaig that more special. Filled from a small number of refill ex-bourbon casks, the smoke and peat flavours are tamed and mellowed by time. It is both sweet with soft white fruit like lychee, and nutty with almond flakes. The peat offers a gentle medicinal smokyness, and on the palate there is an abundance of mouth-filling oils, carrying smoky, salty cured meats and contrasting citrus peel. A lengthy dry sweet & smoky finish carries a herbal tone and the unmistakable character of the Isle of Islay.

This incredibly rare whisky is the oldest Islay single malt we have stocked, bottled after 45 years of maturation. Distilled at an undisclosed distillery in 1968, this bottling is a combination of 5 old sherry casks. It carries a staggeringly complex array of aromas of flavours - honey sweetness, rich over-ripe fruit, a hint of menthol and a waves of herbal tones and tropical fruit. Delicate, soft and barely a hint of smoke, this could only be from one distillery on the Island...

This high strength expression of smokehead is unashamedly intense and vigorous, full of heavy Islay peatsmoke, earthiness, salt, iodine. Oily and full on the palate, it's a pure Islay powerhouse. Bottled from an undisclosed distillery at 58%, it is enjoyed neat for its full strength or with water to open up and gently tame the whisky.

The Smokehead 'Sherry Bomb' from Ian Macleod's certainly lives up to its name. A powerful Islay single malt from an unknown distillery which has been matured entirely in Oloroso Sherry casks, it boasts thick peat and custard aromas. Heavy, oily black smoke mingles on the palate with sticky barbecued bananas, tangy sultanas and dried fruit, finishing with a salty sweet smoke tang. A heavy hitting dram for those who refer to them selves as 'peat freaks'.

Ardbeg 'An Oa' is the latest release from the iconic Ardbeg distillery on Islay, named after the southern point of the island known as the Mull of Oa (pronounced 'oh'). A creation of three different cask types that are married in a new 'gathering' vat which allows these flavours to mellow and mingle. The aroma is classic Ardbeg - sooty, ashy peat smoke wrapped in a lush sweetness, joined by spices and sea-spray. The palate is sweet and heavy with an oily mouthfeel, followed by rich peat smoke and hints of dark chocolate bitterness in the finish. A welcome new addition to the permanent Ardbeg range - gather 'round and get to know An Oa.

This cask strength release of Finlaggan has a lovely pungent peat smoke aroma, with notes of smoky bacon and old leather. The palate is rich with more peat smoke, iodine and lemon zest leading to a peppery finish that is long and warming.

This is the latest core expression to join the Port Askaig range, a soft sweet and peaty 8 year old from an undisclosed distillery on Islay. Matured entirely in refill American oak, it is fresh and vibrant on the nose with lemon oil, salty sea spray and a soft ashy smoke. More citrus on the palate with smoked fish and that classic Islay peat reek. A honeysuckle sweetness and slight herbal note balances out this dram before leading into a long barley sugar finish. A great introduction to the world of Islay malts.