Smokehead is an independently bottled whisky from one of the eight Islay distilleries, but Smokehead themselves are coy about saying which one, although rumour has it that it’s a young Ardbeg. Islay (pronounced Eye- la) is a small island off the west coast of Scotland who are famous for their highly smoky characteristics and here at Liquor Library we have plenty of expressions from the island including the rich peat smoke of Bunnahabhain to the outlandish punch in the face smoke of Big Peat!
But for now, let’s concentrate on Smokehead and let us tell you what we thought of their 43% flagship whisky –
Nose: strong intensity, sharp, pungent, piercing smoke, peat, and brine. The peat is a combination of both sweet and bitter.
Taste: very crisp in the mouth, too, with the taste of smoke almost stronger than the smoke in the nose; effective and strong translation of the nose flavours.
Finish: the peat and smoke just camp out on the tongue but relative youth of the liquid means any richness you experienced to start with dissipates at a faster rate than the smoke.
Balance: hard-core smoke and peat lovers will love Smokehead. For 43% abv these are extremely intense flavours and ones most Islay whisky lovers treasure. So besides drinking neat or adding a dash of water or ice, this whisky will definitely make you a smoke twist on any classic whisky drink but we love to simply drink it with ginger ale and a good squeeze of fresh lime. Make sure it’s a double poured over plenty of ice and topped with a high quality ginger ale. Check out Karma Drinks’ Gingerella Ginger Ale in our range for the perfect match.
The eagle eyed among you will have spotted the distinctive red banner on the Smokehead bottle on the right in the picture above. That’s right we don’t just stock one but two of these great whiskies and the second one is the big, strong, heavy-handed brother called Smokehead High Voltage!
If the classic Smokehead is an assault on your senses, then High Voltage is an all-out attack. Its breath-taking intensity is a red light for the faint of heart.
Nose: Breathe it in and feel the rush of spirit hit the senses and the nose prickle. Intense peat and smoke, maritime air, porridge oats, clean vanilla and toffee
Taste: A burn of hot spirit and the mouth fills with smoke, feeling almost thick with oiliness before softening and becoming creamier, with nutty, briny and citrus notes
Finish: The mouth is almost in shock, numb and tingling. Sweetness mixes nicely with the slowly fading smoke, leaving a salty tang.
Balance: At 58% ABV this really does have a kick but the intense flavours are surprisingly well stitched together and adding the slightest drop of water to take it down to the high 40’s ABV will prove this to you! Don’t forget to check out our Smokehead bundle, which gets you a couple of Smokehead glasses and some other goodies when you buy two bottles!
