Review 217: is young whisky changing my palate?

When I started getting into whisky during my college years over 2 decades ago, I was all about the peatmonsters from Islay. My very humble and moderate collection would at any given moment consist of at least 1 bottle of Laphroaig (either the 10 or the quarter cask), and if the cashflow allowed for it, something more ‘high end’, by which I mean either Ardbeg 10 or Lagavulin 16. This was at the start of the 21st century, and a bottle of my beloved Laphroaig 10 would set me back about €25 (£ 21). When the cash could be splashed, I occasionally would splurge it on something like Lagavulin 16, which cost the princely sum of around €40-€45 (some 33- 38 of your finest pond sterling’s). Feeling nostalgic yet? And yet… Believe me when I say that back then that was seen as something of a folly which only happened once or twice per year, and usually I settled for something like Caol Ila 12 or Ardbeg 10, which were maybe a fiver or a tenner more than the go to Laphroaig 10. I had just finished university, and was making ends meet by doing odd jobs and freelance stuff for a while before I eventually found steady employment which I suppose you could call something resembling a career.

This little intro to paint the picture on how I got into whisky. To put that picture into a frame: essentially I arrived too late at the party to be lucky enough to pick up what we would now consider high end stuff for peanuts – those Springbanks 21 or 25 year old, 30 year old Caol Ila, or 20 year old indie Clynelish. But I was getting in the whisky game still early enough to  be able to find stuff like 18 year old Talisker or Highland Park or Glenfarclas 21with less than 3 digits on their price tags. A time and a place that allowed me to have plenty of bottles in the cabinet, of which most would be 14 years or older, but generally no older than 21 years. Back then, a 10 year old I would probably have  considered very young, barely whisky even,  and many producers must have been of the same opinion as, by and large, either a 10 year old or a 12 year old would very often be the entry level expression in their core range. So what ‘calibrated’ my palate and how I learned to understand and appreciate whisky post ‘college peat boom’, would probably average out to be 14, 15 and 16 year old whisky. Older equals better was still pretty much the adage, as illustrated by Gordon and MacPhail who went to some lengths insisting that ‘it’s the wood that makes the whisky’, a phrase you’d find in every leaflet that came in the box of anything Benromach.

The paradigm shift we’ve witnessed since is quite a big one.

And the reasons behind this shift are all wonderfully intertwined. For starters the once ginormous stock of well matured stuff (in the aftermath of the whisky loch) of the ’80-ies and ’90-ies) of just about any distillery in Scotland, was now starting to become scarce. Or at least not as vast as it once was. When reality dawned on the industry that after years of stagnation or even decrease, whisky was, once again, starting to flourish, it also became clear that you couldn’t ‘amp up’ younger age statement releases by adding in a decent chunk of older stock (I think the story of Glendronach is a good example here) until the end of times. Which led to 2 things. Firstly, when today it says ’10 year old single malt scotch whisky’ on the label, chances are that 95% if not more of what’s in that bottle will indeed be 10 year old single malt scotch whisky.  Probably it happened gradually rather than overnight to keep some form  of flavour consistency, but the days when a significant bit of that 10 year old would have been at least a few years older, are now a thing of the past. Meaning that a 2025 10 year old whisky will very likely be younger that a 10 yo whisky from a decade earlier. Which, to some extent at least, would explain why the once to me so pivotal Laphroaig 10 is, in recent years, nowhere to be seen in my cabinet.

Secondly, older, more mature stock has become quite expensive, to say the least. That aforementioned Highland Park 18 yo that would have been €85 / £75-ish around 2017, is now 50- 60% more expensive, hovering around the €145/£130 mark. Scarcity and inflation play their parts, sure, but as a consequence of the whisky boom, it became common practice for many producers to charge what the market would stand for. We’ve seen it with Talisker and Caol Ila, to name two obvious examples, when almost overnight  they literally all but doubled the  RRP for their 18 yo expressions. But even before the big bad Diageo cranked pricing up to 11, medium sized consortiums were already playing that game. Inver House using the change in Balblair’s and Old Puleteney’s core range to bump up retail prices -not as drastically as Diageo, but still by 15 – 20%.

The third reason behind the ‘shift’ is obviously the arrival of the new wave of whisky distilleries. Roughly 1/3 of the currently active distilleries in Scotland weren’t even a thing 20 years ago. Wolfburn, Ardnamurchan, Lochlea, Kingsbarns, Lindores Abbey, Raasay, Glasgow and dozens of others: all of them only started releasing whisky as recent as 6 years ago or even less than that.

Add to that the fact that the prices of casks, sherry casks in particular, have skyrocketed, and it all comes together. Up to the point that what’s sitting in my cabinet, will likely be averaging something closer to 10 years, where it used to be 15 years. Yes, there’s still a few older whiskies in the cabinet, but where I used to just replace them with another when empty, I’m likely now nursing them. Old Pulteney 17 used to be a staple in the cabinet, now I’m holding on to what’s my last bottle. Gengoyne 21: I bought a bottle for around €90 at the start of covid, but with the current prices there’s not a chance in hell that I’ll be replacing that once it’s gone. What is getting drunk without much scrutiny  are the Kilkerrans 8 and 12; the Glencadams  and Benromachs 10 and a truckload of 21st century distilleries and indies. All of these have one thing in common: these days, rarely ever will it carry an age statement of 16 years or higher. The new kids on the block obviously don’t have stock that old to bottle in the first place, and it’s becoming harder to afford stuff released by those bottlers and distilleries that are able to offer well-matured whisky. Not impossible, but it’s definitely less of a given.

So it only makes sense that, gradually and over time, my palate (and possibly yours as well) is shifting too, getting accustomed to whiskies that might even scrape to average out 10 years. I know for certain that I’m now more appreciative of whiskies that allow their spirit character to shine through than I was 5 or 6 years ago. And that has nothing to do with becoming less or more of a snob, but as said, the whiskies that once calibrated my palate are not the ones that tend to fill up my cabinet today. And of course gems like Ledaig 18 or An’Cnoc 24 still knock me on my backside by how exquisitely wonderful they smell and taste. But  I’ve come to find younger whiskies are capable of doing this as well. Heck, my favourite whisky of 2024 was the Kilkerran 8 yo. And in the end it always comes down to balance and harmony, that sweet spot between spirit character and wood impact. Age, I’ve come to find,  is of secondary importance when doing that equation.

So what I’ll do this week, is round up a few ‘youngsters’, see how I get along with them and then next week do the same with some well-aged whiskies. Not the most objective or scientific approach, but then again I’m not working for CERN or NASA.

Ardbeg 8 yo For Discussion, 50.8% ABV, 2022 release, app. €65 (£60)

This, upon first release in 2021, was one of those whiskies that seemed to have been pulled rather randomly out of the Ardbeg hat, much like the sheer amount of other Committee releases they’ve been doing in recent years. Committee releases, one offs, limited releases that seem somewhat core range and vice versa: it’s hard to keep track of what’s coming out of Ardbeg if you’re not a keen and dedicated follower. Despite this being a release from 4 years ago, there’s still quite a bit of these lying about, and, unlike many of the other Committee stuff Ardbeg’s been doing, at a very reasonable price. Just last week, Kevin Grant discussed this one on his ‘Let’s talk whisky channel’ explaining nicely what’s what with this one.

Nose

Peaty and fruity first and foremost, but also quite medicinal and coastal with distinct notes of salinity and beach pebbles. Notes of citrus and delicate vanilla underneath betray the softer side of Ardbeg as well.

Palate

The peat is way more upfront now. As it should be in Ardbeg, if I may added. Behind the veil of smoke and peat lies that delicate, fruity character. Somewhat peppery and still quite spirit driven while the mouthfeel is clinging, but also actually somewhat light, or in any case ‘in line’ with those gentle and delicate notes that lie hidden under the smoke and peat barrage.

Finish

That clinging, coating  mouthfeel echoes on in the finish and the remnants of the peat and smoke are, surprisingly, getting the company of something slightly oaky.

Glasgow 1770 Peated Marsala cask, 7 yo, 60.2% ABV, 2024 release

This is actually one of the latest batches of Glasgow’s cask strength releases from late 2024, and I picked up a sample of it at the ‘Liquid Leuven’ spirits festival just last weekend. I poured it the day after and took notes.

Nose

Fruity and rich and the peat noses as if it’s been completely integrated into this one. Rather than being a note in its own right, it’s more like a foundation or a layer on which the rest of it can build, and it works an absolute treat! Strawberry marmalade, berries, raisins, but also something feisty and peppery, betraying not just  the high ABV but also its youth. Give it some more time and the peat ‘restores’ itself a bit, presenting itself as a dark, earthy note.

Palate

Fruity, peaty and earthy, but also very hot and very feisty. Definitely needs toning down a bit in my book. The added water really helps to take the heat off and while it doesn’t completely get rid off that somewhat peppery, feisty character, it does clear some room for thee other notes. A mixture of amped up, slightly dry red wine cask influencing the earthy, warming peat.

Finish

Long, drying and warming

Artesia Pur Malt (French single malt from TOS distillery) batch 7 (2021 release of 1st fill and refill  bourbon casks); app. 4 yo. 45% ABV, NC, UCF, €55 (£48).

TOS distillery in the north of France (just south of Lille near the Belgian border) started releasing their first whiskies back in 2020 under the brand ‘Artesia’. Greg (who kindly provide me the sample) thinks highly of this young French distillery and was quite enamoured by a more recent peated version of this…

Nose

Herbaceous and floral – almost like a mixture of rhubarb and violets. Underneath lies something ‘deeper’ yet still also something light, like treacle ad vanilla custard thrown in a blender with  a light almost synthetic/antiseptic (yet pleasant) sweetness to it. Undeniably youthful, but that’s absolutely fine as it allows plenty of the spirit character to make its mark. And it’s a pleasant one for sure.

Palate

Soft, gentle, almost silky arrival of sherbet and citrus,  immediately followed by a slightly peppery note. Delicate with an understated floral element to it. It can’t deliver everything the nose suggested (promised) but it comes with a very pleasant, coating, slightly waxy texture which makes up for that.

Finish

Somewhat peppery and, to my surprise, a good dose of salinity, while that herbaceous note I got on the nose makes a comeback as well.

Final thoughts

 3 young, but very different whiskies The Ardbeg is very enjoyable, youthful and peat driven, but also a bit delicate and well balanced. Uncomplicated but engaging.

The Glasgow Marsala cask: an absolutely intriguing, busy, layered whisky, ready to throw some punches with its high ABV and feisty character. That said, I found the casks being quite active and maybe not always and completely ‘in tune’ with the peated spirit. It worked a treat in the nose, but on the palate it wasn’t as good imo. That said: an absolute powerhouse. Glasgow ‘s been on my radar for quite a while and I’m eager and keen to try more from them.

The ‘Frenchie’ then. Such a surprising whisky, in a good way. Definitely one where there’s much more than meets the eye. Nice, delicate, floral, herbaceous and easy going, but with a silky, coating, somewhat waxy touch to it, only to, almost out of nowhere, throw some spices notes of pepper and salt at you at the back. Me like!

I generally don’t think I would have been able to appreciate these as much as I did 6 or 7 years ago. And I’m by no means stating that I lost my appetite for older whiskies, as one obviously doesn’t exclude the other. But the fact of the matter is that younger whiskies is becoming (or even has become) a sort of new norm. Whereas Ardbeg’s 5  year old Wee Beastie was seen as a daring, bold move upon release in 2020 (while in fact they were only doing what Glendronach or Benromach had already done before them), it’s now common practice. Partly because out of necessity (see the app. 2200 words above), but  while we can moan and complain about (older) whisky becoming unobtanium in terms of prices, we could also see the silver lining as we’re now witnessing just how good whisky can be even at a young age.

Next week: am I full of crap? I’ll find out by lining up some  samples of (very) well aged single malt whisky! Stay tuned…