Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt (NAS), Second Take

 

I decided to re-sample some of the Smokehead High Voltage Islay single malt whisky, after finding some lately at a competitive price. I've already accepted that I spend every cent of my disposable income on Scotch... might as well make it interesting!

Coming from bottler Ian MacLeod, this is unidentified, no age statement Islay whisky. It's young and very much in-your-face. The normal bottling is only 43% ABV - who has time for that? This "High Voltage" edition is bottled at 58% - now that's more like it. 

The identity of Smokehead has been under debate from the moment it was released. In my last review, I guessed it was Ardbeg. It has some of the signatures, for sure. But the internet consensus seems to be a very young Ardbeg or a very young Lagavulin: and I can buy both of those readings, as well. Since my last review, I discovered that BrewDog (the controversial brewing company) released a beer in partnership with Smokehead. 

The watered-down version of this was trashed in a well-known review by the ScotchNoob. I wonder if he ever gave the cask strength version a chance? Well, I am. Two chances, in fact. Let's see how it does:

Nose: Green peppers, olives, brine. Strong coastal influence: rocks and salt. Jalapenos. No apparent sweetness, at all. Pine trees. More hot peppers. Coal. 

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly thin, a bit oily. 

Palate: Wow, this is strangely both heavy and light at the same time. Jalapeno for days and days. Green peppers. Olives, green and black. A lot of "green spicy vegetable" notes. Vinegar. Salt. Bright acids. Surprisingly bright on the tongue. Lime! Maybe the most vegetal Islay-oriented dram I've ever sipped. But it's really thin. Could this have been chill-filtered, even at 58%?!

Finish: Ash... a lot of ash stays on the tongue quite a long time. Charred wood and hot peppers also emerge on the finish.

Verdict: This is still recommended for anyone looking for an alternate Islay malt. I have no idea what this is - could be Ardbeg, could be Lagavulin, could be Caol Ila - but it's tasty, and smoky, and peaty, and full of vegetal flavor. Recommended. But be warned that it's not very viscous... I was a little disappointed in the thinness of the body.