Waves

This was interesting - a single malt from the Islay distillery of Bruichladdich (pronounced Brook-laddie), branded simply "Waves". Interesting, because while most Islay whiskies are heavily peated, this one was altogether more delicate. On the nose the peat aromas were subtle, with honey and a touch of salt. To taste, again the peat was gentle, with a long, sweet finish. I like to think the 46% abv gave a pleasant thrust without things getting out of hand.

Waves (more details here) is a multi-vintage bottling, which means it's a mix of whiskies of different ages, in this case matured in bourbon and madeira casks. The website bumf notes that the peat here is largely free of "sea iodine medicinal flavour" (the stuff in Laphroaig that tends to whack one in the face), thanks to the distillery's long necked stills. This, by my reckoning, is a very good thing indeed. I've got my first trip to Islay coming up next month - and Bruichladdich may just have jumped to the top of my growing list of should-visits.