McClelland's Islay Single Malt

This whisky was a gift from my wife, but I’ll attempt to be objective nonetheless. Depending on which online source you trust, this young Bowmore is anywhere from 3 to 7 years old. There are a lot of interesting notes here, but the balance is really lacking.

Tasting Notes

• Nose (undiluted): honey sweetness, light smoke, raw chocolate chip cookie dough (seriously, it’s uncanny), black tea that was steeped too long.
• Palate (undiluted): medium to light bodied, a bit thin, lots of cereal sweetness, milk chocolate, more black tea, a bit of raw almonds
• Finish: medium-short with light smoke returning and barley sweetness lingering.

Adding water didn’t change the taste much, it just got more watery. Ice, however, made things interesting. The black tea note disappeared, but the smoke seemed to get “thicker” with ice. This whisky was also quite pleasant (dare I say it?) as a mixer. There’s a time and place for every whisky, and I feel that this is a better “background” whisky than a star in its own right.

I have ruined my girlfriend. Not by tarnishing her good name, mind you, or absconding with all of her savings. No, I ruined her by introducing her to Bowmore 12 Year Old. This fine ol' standby had become a daily dram, and it was just getting too much. "At $60 a pop, I can't afford this! Is there a cheaper Bowmore available?" The Small Batch isn't that much less, so I suggested trying the McClelland's Islay. There must be a cheaper way for her to enjoy her favourite distillery!

But McClelland's does not disclose what distillery it comes from, you may say. Well, I'm about 99.9% sure that's what it is, as the McClelland's brand is owned by Morrison Bowmore. That is the only Islay distillery they own, so it stands to reason that this is young NAS Bowmore. But is it an acceptable substitute? Does it measure up?

The colour is a pale yellowish gold. On the nose there is vanilla, honey and butterscotch, with peat woven throughout. Medicinal and floral. Lemon curd and apricots. Not much oak; you can tell this is quite young, but water helps even it out.

Quite briny on the palate - and oakier than the nose - with more vanilla as well. The butterscotch is further in the background. Again, very medicinal. Peaty and sweet, but too spirity - though that is corrected with a drop of water.

The finish is rough, with restrained peat, apple skins and heather honey. There are definitely certain notes that remind one of Bowmore - so I'm quite sure that's what this is. But unfortunately, it is not up to snuff. Although it improves with water, it is no substitute. Pam let out a woeful sigh, turned her back on it, and poured herself a Bowmore 12.

Definitely some peat and smoke here, in minor and unoffensive quantities. A little bland when it comes to the isle of Islay malts but a pleasant enough finish nonetheless. Hard to give it accolades, but also hard to fault it too much considering price...

The story goes that this is very young Bowmore. And it shows. Still, not a horrible choice for a budget peat fix . . .

Nose: Peat and peat. Peat the color of Yellow. That is to say, if the peat were in a color spectrum it would fall into the yellow area. Just a hint of earth and a whisper of the ocean behind the peat. A bit of hay and grass also behind the peat. Now, don’t hear me wrong: this is not peat overload like Supernova. Rather, this is a resounding one sold note (with two minor notes in the background) tone of peat. With time more malt come out. Now it is basically two notes: peat and malt. But with more time the peat recedes to the background and you are left with simply malt. Now some apple notes are coming out with a touch of honey and lemon grass. Nice, austere and simple while still evolving. My only complaint is that the peat starts out strong and then disappears.

Taste: Fruity on the tip: apple, pear, peach. Then some spice, fire, with sharp mustard and horseradish type flavors (but they only last for a moment). Now oak and a little smoke. Over all pleasant, sweet with a balance of bitterness.

Finish: Fire, smoke a nice dollop of peat fire coat the mouth. Not a huge explosion. More like lava or magma oozing down into the floor below your room. You are left with a nice struggle for air and the salty remnants of a peat fire.

Complexity, Balance: There is a complexity to this cheap no-name Islay single malt . . . considering. I will give it points for presenting several flavors and not being a one or two note chord. However, it is more like a fireworks display where once the rocket goes off it is finished.

Aesthetic experience: I dislike this bottle (which is why I put it into my decanter). It does remind me of the old Bowmore labeling. Hate the name, the label, the 40%, the use of E-150a, and the chill filtration. The only things I like about this bottle are that there is peat, it is a standard shape, and it is cheap.

Conclusion: For a while this was a standard in my open cabinet. However, of late I enjoy mixing my own peaty blend (Old Bastard Reserve). Next time I find it under $20 I’ll pick it up again.

Attractive packaging with no mention of age statement. Light golden color.

Immediately after the pour, the nose is Islay without being overpowering or offputting for the unitiated.

Nose: salty bacon, peat, smoke, some dirt, sea water, band-aid and something fishy and metallic that's not unpleasant (like the smell of your hands after catching a trout). Smooth. Adding water doesn't do much for the nose, except maybe weaseling out some wood character out of the whisky.

Palate: much of the same, altough it is less refined and more one dimensional with the peat, salt water, band-aid and bacon dominating. There's a slight citrus note at the end, probably due to the young nature of the whisky. The palate is also somewhat harsh and bright, but not as much as I would've expected from a young spirit. I prefer nosing this than drinking it.

Finish: longish, dry, but flat with smoke, bog and dirt. Not a lot of oomph. The smoke still dances in the nostrils and mouth a few minutes after sipping.

Overall: A decent to good bottle, which was surprising to me. Sure it doesn't measure up to the Bowmores, but at 35$ a bottle in Quebec (the Bowmore 12 is almost 60$), this makes for a good, very approachable dram that doesn't fatigue the palate, doesn't need much work to be enjoyable and boasts a tremendous price/quality ratio.

Peat, smoke, earthy dominate this young Bowmore Islay, strong young alcohol gives way to peat, smokey malty grain goodness. Medium slow finish.

Old gold in colour and very shiny. Light smoke and a touch of pungent bog aromas. Smooth, with like 8 o's (that's smooooooooth), and soft. Flavours are burnt cherry wood. Short finish and we are off and running.

my first ever whiskey review, i found this to be quite enjoyable even at its young age. good enough to get me interested in exploring the whiskey world.

McClelland is a range of whiskies marketed by Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd, known also for their Bowmore, Auchentoshan and Glen Garioch. They purchased T&A McClelland’s, a blender from Glasgow, in 1970. The range as we know it today consists of Speyside, Islay, Lowland and Highland and was launched for the first time in 1986. Recently, a Speyside 12 Year Old was added.

On the nose, I get citrus and peatsmoke, but mostly vanilla and unfortunately something that reminds me of babypuke. Very spirity. Also some tobacco, touch of tar and smoldering wood. After a few more minutes: coffee and hay. Strange combination, if you ask me.

On the palate, this McClelland Islay shows his budget character. Astringent grappa with bitter wood, no balance whatsoever. Berries, maybe? Some salted butter and burnt vanilla. I even make the association of blood (from a bloody nose), slightly metallic. Definitely a young beast!

The finish is (too) long and much too bitter, preventing the Islay character to come out.

Intro: McClelland's Islay label is whisky produced at the Bowmore distilleries on Islay. The McClelland's Islay Single Malt Whisky is listed at 5 years old.

Nose: Medicinal, moderate peat, some sea salts

Taste: good strong flavour. Like the nose, the taste is also medicinal, peaty, and salty.

Finish: there is a long finish, with the peat, especially hanging on.

Balance: For a 5 year old malt, this has a lot of character. This is thoroughly drinkable, wears well, and is definitely good enough to look forward to drinking. I would encourage those who already like Bowmore products to give this one a try. The quality is rather good, and the value for the money is exceptional.

In a lot of ways, this Glasgow-made 'Islay' tastes like someone snubbed his cigarette in a pool of old blood on the floor of the Lagavulin malting room. What's worse? I like it. It's rich and rough.

1st nose: Smells like an Islay. Smoke. Peat. Brine. Tobacco. Sherry. 1st taste: Tastes woody. Like the barrel char. 1st finish: Peat and ash. Burnt currant.

2nd nose: brine and buttery chardonnay. 2nd taste: mixture of berry and orange reduction, more like a strange cough syrup than compote sauce. 2nd finish: blood and cherries.

3rd nose: currant and tobacco. 3rd taste: dark chocolate and berry. 3rd finish: velvety cigar.