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Port Askaig 8 Year Old

Port Askaig 8 Year Old

(0.75l, 45.8%)


5.7/10
Price:
$67.99
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A perfectly balandec classic Islay Single Malt. 

Port Askaig is a small town on the northeast coast of Islay where it faces the island of Jura less than 1/2 mile away on the other side of the Sound of Islay. The Port Askaig Whiskies are a brand of classic Islay Single Malt Whiskies named after this picturesque town. London-based Speciality Drinks created the brand by collecting selected casks from some of the largest and most reputable Single Malt distilleries on the island and producing a series of independent bottlings that are elegant and fragrant from the word “go.”

It feels that a lot of peated Whiskies are trying to “prove” that they are Islay, so the smoke and peat notes mask everything else. Not in this dram. Port Askaig 8YO is a GREAT mainline, classic Islay Single Malt. It’s everything you want in an Islay dram — full of flavor and complexity without overwhelming the palate. The smoke, peat, salt, and see notes are all there, but you also have the balance of caramels and heather that sparkle on the back palate. And its bottled at a scientifically perfect 45.8% ABV. And all of that is why this lovely spirit took the Gold Medal in San Francisco in 2018.
  • Category
    Scotch
  • Style
    Single Malt Scotch Whisky
  • Region
    Islay
  • Country
    Scotland
  • Alcohol
    45.8%
  • Distillery
    Speciality Drinks Ltd.
  • Age
    8 Year Old

Flavor Spiral™

About The Flavor Spiral

Close
smoky
lemon zest
liquorice
zesty
peaty
caramel
salty
floral
cake
What does Port Askaig 8 Year Old taste like?

The Flavor Spiral™ shows the most common flavors that you'll taste in Port Askaig 8 Year Old and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it.

We invented Flavor Spiral™ here at Flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring.
Dog Dogson
Dog Dogson's
Smartass
Corner
Whisky or Whiskey? The spelling differs geographically. In Scotland, Japan, and some other parts of the world, distilleries usually spell it Whisky; in Ireland and the USA, they spell it Whiskey.

Tasting Notes
Appearance / Color
Frosted gold.

Nose / Aroma / Smell
Warm charcoal, salted rice cakes, light florals, and lemon zest. 

Flavor / Taste / Palate
Sea-salt caramels with sea spray, licorice, and warm peat notes throughout. 

Finish
Medium length with fresh-ground peppercorns.

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Ratings & Reviews
Member Reviews and Ratings of Port Askaig 8 Year Old
guest
guest,
Up front very smoky and peaty; not a style I really enjoy. Lesser hints of licorice, salt, floral with small amount of caramel.
 
Dan
Dan,
It is probably just an acquired taste. But this is SO smokey/peaty that I couldn't finish it. Then again, I can't stand Laphroig. So again, take this review with a grain of salt. If you like the taste of an ash tray - you will like this
 
michael
michael,
I thought it was great. It tasted exactly as the tasting notes described except I would say a little less smoky and peaty than indicated.
 
Stefanie
Stefanie,
Up front I like the peaty, smoky scent. I love the initial taste-a little sweet and floral, smoky after taste...and then they lost me. That licorice. I was hoping it wouldn't come through but there it was. It is smooth enough to enjoy if you do not mind licorice. If it was offered I would drink it, but I wouldn't jump to buy it over other options.
 
Gabriela
Gabriela,
No, no, no. Never again. Too Smokey, peaty and harsh.
 
JC
JC,
Fantastic smoke and fruit flavors throughout, yummy!
 
Dan
Dan,
Nope
 
Lawrence
Lawrence,
Zesty and smoky
 
Neil
Neil,
first islay... not impressed
 
Terry
Terry,
No
 
Nathan
Nathan,
Advent #12. Smoky, peaty, and lemon zest. Not the flavors I enjoy and not a huge fan of scotch.
 
Sean
Sean,
I’m just starting to appreciate peated whisky, and this is a nice one!
 
Nicholas
Nicholas,
Enjoyable Islay! Really light and delicate, with that peat coming in strong but not darkening the flavor too much. I get the zest and salt on cake finish.
 
Jason
Jason,
Very strong peat, smells of popcorn. The burn is not bad but def not my favorite.
 
Levi
Levi,
A touch too oily and burns a bit unnecessarily. Not that I don’t like the occasional fire from my whisky, but there should be a point or finish that helps it make sense. There say very little here. Not a bad whiskey, but not great either.
 
Paul
Paul,
It tastes like burning plastic smells and leaves a lasting numbing creosote sensation on your palate.
 
Stephen
Stephen,
Everything about this is repulsive. It’s the color of watered down apple juice, smells of rotting wood, and tastes like chewing on dirt. Never again.
 
Stephen
Stephen,
Really liked this one. Smoke and pear fades to the background with a little water added
 
Todd
Todd,
Very light color. Nice level of smoke vs sweet. One drop of water put smoke in the background and brought out some salty notes. I liked this one.
 
Aaron
Aaron,
Too much peat but not bad with licorice
 
David
David,
To peaty for my taste
 
Tracy
Tracy,
Smooth and smoky, I really liked this one
 
Brady
Brady,
Surprised how much I liked this. A pleasant peaty taste, light and quick finish. Worth trying again
 
Briana
Briana,
Heavy smoke that lingers
 
Paul
Paul,
Really love the smoke. It’s so clear too. But that aftertaste with the lemon and liquorice is not the best.
 
Jason
Jason,
I don’t mind a nice peaty scotch but there was something about this one I just didn’t care for.
 
Adam
Adam,
This is a pretty good scotch. Much lighter than any of the others to date in the 2020 Advent, but very enjoyable.
 
Frank
Frank,
(Advent 2020, 12) It's noticably lighter than others in the Advent calendar On the nose I get smoke, peat, with a faint hint of chocolate. Tasting it, all I get are smoke and peat. I don't care for this style of whisky, but I imagine that if you like this, it's a good expression of that.
 
James
James,
Mildly enjoyable with ample added water. Very heavy on smoke. Layers of lemon and salt. I do t recommend drinking this neat.
 
Dustin
Dustin,
I prefer to taste the smoke and other notes, and this was just smoke.
 
Matthew
Matthew,
I couldn't finish this. I sampled the 110 Proof earlier this year and it seemed to have more flavor and depth than this low-octane version. Overwhelming smoke, the licorice and lemon seem to be drowned out by the peat. Go with the higher proof to get more flavors out. I'll try again tomorrow with a splash of water to see if it opens up.
Matthew
Matthew,
Went back to try this again after sampling some Big Smoke 46. Added a little Big Smoke and water and it finally opened up. Still not a peat fan nor do I like licorice. Not a neat sipper, but it has possibilities.
Jason
Jason,
I liked this more than I thought I would. It was a little medicinal on the nose at first, but the smoky/pettiness was actually balanced fairly well with some lighter, sweeter notes. Still not my preferred style, but a pleasant surprise. I might have to venture in this direction again.
 
Mike
Mike,
Hello smoky, peat, my old friend. As soon as I opened this dram I knew we were in Islay, and that's the way I like it.
 
Matthew
Matthew,
Aweful. Should have known better than to trust an Islay that was not Bruchladdich. Why does Islay peat smoke smell and taste like funeral homes? Just not palatable in any way.
 
Derek
Derek,
I love Islay Scotches. Laphroaig is my go-to. This definitely had the smoke and peat of a true Islay, and you can certainly detect the quality of the maker in the silkiness of the mouthfeel and the punch of the flavors. But the combination of lemon and licorice flavors is overwhelming and rather unpleasant for me, at least. I love sweet black licorice like Panda from Finland, but this is much more in line with the really pungent salted licorice from the Netherlands. Coupled with the lemon, it’s absolutely not my cup of tea.
 
Julie
Julie,
Another very pleasant surprise from the 2020 advent calendar! Islays are usually a bit much for me, but the peat and smoke in this lovely dram were a little more subtle than others which allowed the softer, sweeter notes to come through as well. Very nice.
 
Vincent
Vincent,
Advent Day 12 - Strong smoky notes from nose to finish. Strong enough to where I could not detect any other flavors. Still a nice Scotch.
 
Bob
Bob,
Flaviar Advent sampler day 12. I'm a big fan of Islay Scotches so this one really appealed to me. I suspect not all palates will like it. Smoky, peaty, but with less bite than many Islay Scotches. I'd definitely buy a bottle of this.
Bob
Bob,
This turned out to be my favorite whiskey in the 2020 Advent Sampler. I hope Flaviar makes some bottles available so I can stock up!
Matthew
Matthew,
I'm going to give this a six even though it's not exactly my wheelhouse. Initial nosing all I got was band-aid, but once I got past that I got to the sweetness and florals. Salted caramel up front, giving away to a finish that is more ashy than smoky. I get the impression of meatiness but not meat if that makes any sense. It is hard to say I like it .. but I keep going back to the glass.
 
Mark
Mark,
Peaty
 
Thomas
Thomas,
I absolutely love peated whisky. This checks that box (lightly) but I find it too zesty and floral for my taste. I do prefer it to the 110 proof, which is harsher without adding depth.
 
Mike
Mike,
Nice peat. A little too much smoke for me, but a solid scotch.
 
Karen
Karen,
Advent 2020 #12. Smoky chemical smell. Smoky taste that lingers. Not a fan.
 
Sam
Sam,
Delicious an super peaty/smoky.
 
Ryan
Ryan,
Please don't take my review against the quality of the whiskey. Advent #12. I picked up LOTS of flavors, but I hate peat, I'm not fond of smokey whiskies or licorice. I have a Friend who will LOVE this, but it tastes like a burning tire to me.
 
James
James,
Strange nose, but lightly smoked taste that has some appeal
 
Kris
Kris,
Awesome floral and peat on the nose, super light color reminds me of an ardbeg and then you taste it and the big peaty punch definitely reminds me of an ardbeg. Manages to be a smoky, peat-bomb without the heavyiness. Love it!
 
Daniel
Daniel,
Advent 2020 #12 - we are not Scotch fans, but this one is ok. Smoke and peat not as overbearing as others, but it does mask other flavors.
 
Todd
Todd,
Nice aroma with hints of smoke. Taste has a bit of sweetness with peaty smoke coming through: some pepper spice as well. Not as smooth or well rounded as the Port Askaig 19 Year I've tried, but still quite good. A dash of water turns up the pepper taste, seems better straight.
 
guest
guest,
A very smooth and delicious all day dram from islay.
 
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