Which NAS kicks ass, part 5: The need for peat

Ok, time to spice things up a bit. In the build-up  for this series, I’ve been going back and forth through my cabinet, deciding on which whiskies could be of value. Which means I’ve ended up with a handful of bottles and a about a dozen or so samples to choose from.  With the adage Choosing is losing in mind, I decided not to choose but rather go through 3 peated whiskies to give you the what’s what.

Peated whisky was what got me hooked on the water of life 20 odd years ago, more particularly Laphroaig 10. So I initially played with the idea of revisiting some NAS  Laphroaig expression and include it in the series. However… simply put, the current NAS expressions from Laphroaig aren’t particularly exciting me. Their ‘Select’  I won’t touch with a 10 ft pole (been there, tried that, wouldn’t recommend it to anyone beyond the point of testing the water of peated scotch), the ‘quarter cask’ I gave up on as well (used to be very good bang for buck stuff, has unfortunately  become quite one dimensional –young,  hot, peaty, peppery, done -  in recent years, in my opinion) and their Lore I currently don’t have in the cabinet (can recommend, but only at a fair price, as that too is getting quite expensive – too expensive, for what is has to offer). Again, just one opinion).

I was determined to add at least one review in this series on a peated NAS whisky I could and would happily recommend – which in my book means delivering in terms of both  quality and value. Which in turn more or less excludes every Ardbeg Committee releases of recent. Those that are decent are (far) too expensive – those that are somewhat affordable tend to be average to decent at best. Also given the fact that there’s plenty of reviews about of just about every other NAS expression from just about any Islay distillery, I saw little added value in throwing in my 2 cents towards, say, Kilchoman Loch Gorm or Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair or whatever. Rather I felt I should pick a couple of whiskies that are all in the same price range, and which, for whatever reason, don’t seem to catch  much attention, despite seemingly having everything going for them.

The (more or less) easily available one: Longrow Peated

The rising indie star: North Star (Chaos, batch 2)

The flying under the radar indie: Sea Shepherd Sherry Edition, batch 1

So with 3 whiskies to cover, let’s dive straight into it.

Longrow Peated Campbeltown single malt. 46% ABV, NC, UCF, app. €50-€60

OK, why pick this one as the ‘readily available’ one? Everything Springbank is almost by definition NOT readily available, after all. Well, a few reasons. First off, this NAS entry level expression is arguably the least ‘elusive’ whisky  coming out of Springbank, alongside the Campbeltown Loch.  Secondly, I’ll argue that, despite it being quite a hefty peaty whisky (more about that in a minute), it’s clearly distinguishable from most, if not all, Islay whiskies.  That’s why I feel it’s an interesting one to add to the list, as it brings its own, singular, specific take on what peated whisky can be. Thirdly, I can’t but feel many, including me, sometimes tend to overlook this expression when discussing either Campbeltown single malt or peated scotches. The reason being that everyone’s either busy talking about and/or chasing after the latest, gone-before-it-hits-the-shelves Springbank release, or people suffering from Islay bound tunnel vision when thinking about smoky and peaty whisky. Again, most of the time this includes me.

Not today though…

Nose

A dairy note, reminiscent of sweet cheeses and sour cream, making for an outspoken savoury note.  That dairy, cheesy, umami element is intertwined with notes of sweet peat. Citrus, with notes of lemon and lemon meringue, and throughout it al a balanced, gentle smoke lingers through.

Palate

Smoky and peaty arrival, savoury (again that cheese like note, with hints of nuts and the merest of the Campbeltown funk) and a bit peppery. Medium mouthfeel, and after the initially more layered notes, mid palate the peat and smoke become dominant again.

Finish

Short to medium long, ashy, smoky and gently peaty.

Final thoughts

 This isn’t complex or subtle or layered, as it’s straightforward and mostly about the peat. But it’s delivered in a very pleasant, well balanced way, making this easily enjoyable, arguably even for those usually not quite keen on heavily peated stuff.

North Star Chaos, batch 2 (2020 release). 50 % ABV. NC, UCF, app. €60-€65

(the NAS that’s not really a NAS).

I called North Star the rising star of indies, but I feel as if that might be somewhat unfair, as in my book, North Star is already ‘there.’ Even though they’ve been around for less than a decade (their earliest releases date back to 2016 if I’m not mistaken), they’ve quickly made a name for themselves with often decent value, good quality bottlings. They sure scored a lot of points with their high age, affordable series of blends and blended malts, the likes of Spica, Vega and Sirius, which upon release were often somewhere around the €100 mark or even lower for whiskies 20 years of age and even older. Proving that high quality whisky with impressive age statements can also be affordable, they earned the respect of many enthusiasts. Obviously, being an indie bottler availability will almost always be limited, but  throughout almost everything they do, two things stand out: they manage to deliver quality at  fair prices.  The Chaos series (3 so far, the most recent batch 3 dates  from 2021) are all about Islay single malt (likely to be Caol Ila), and although officially NAS, this batch 2 Is said to be around 10 years old.

Nose

Fairly unobtrusive at first, and by no means aggressive on the peat. Instead, a lot of warming red fruit notes (raisins, cooked strawberries and forest berries, prunes) and granulated sugar. An ever so gentle salinity showing itself in the form of salted caramel and sea breeze, while the smoke and peat are happy to sit in the background. With a drop of water things turn oily and viscous, while the fruit gets a ‘fermented’ like quality.

Palate

Deep, dark, earthy arrival. Nutty, glazed ham, burnt caramel, ginger, with a hint of tobacco, dried oranges and wood spice. Again, the peat and smoke are very restraint and only show themselves more prominent after adding some water, which also brought out an umami element, notes of charred wood, on a full, viscous mouthfeel.

Finish

Long, intense, with a nice balance of rich fruit, dried oak and earthy notes.

Final thoughts

An absolute treat! It’s subtle on the peat and smoke, yet at the same time so rich in almost everything else. If this is indeed Caol Ila, it’s Caol Ila in its most gentle form, showcasing again what a versatile distillery it really is. Well done!

Sea Shepherd Sherry Edition. Batch 1 (2021 release for the German Market by Kirsch Import). 45.8% ABV, sherry hogshead finish, NC, UCF, app. €60

This is probably the least known (and least available) of the 3 whiskies I’ve reviewed today, although the name ‘Sea Shepherd’ probably rings a bell with some of you. It’s indeed a whisky released under the flag of its namesake NGO (as a means to raise funds for their cause) that strives for cleaner oceans, usually by engaging in direct action campaigns to defend the flora and fauna of the oceans and maritime wildlife. This means they are all about action, often targeting those who are polluting or exploiting our seas and oceans. It’s no wonder then  that their logo is a clear wink to an old pirate’s flag, with the  skull, but with a trident and an entering hook instead of  the bones. This is my second sample I got to try from them, and my previous encounter  I remember to be quite pleasant.

Nose

Sweet red fruit and peat. Chocolate, raspberries, plums and gentle smoke. Hints of cheese and even banana add a nice little extra and bring some complexity to the party overall. The peat and smoke levels remain quite mellow, making for a pleasant, well balanced nose.

Palate

Peppery, peaty and gently smoky with ashy and iodine notes. The fruit is still there (mostly berries), but settles for 2nd fiddle. Slightly drying mouthfeel which is also a bit thin.

Finish

Quite short, a bit dry and with a pleasant lingering echo of wood and wood charr.

Final thoughts

 An easy going, pleasant, mildly peated whisky. Young, but well integrated with the sherry casks, which means a good flavour combo without ever becoming complex or demanding. The nose is the most intriguing bit.

Putting these 3 head to head to head was quite interesting, as all 3  are bringing something very different to the peat bog party.  While the Sea Shepherd is absolutely decent, I feel it would come up short, facing some stiff competition.  The Longrow really puts the emphasis on the peat, but in a really different way from what you’d expect from the likes of Kilchoman, Ardbeg or Port Charlotte. At the same time it showcases that typical Campbeltown funk – a winning combination imo. Price-quality wise it’s  also bang on the money in my book.

Yet, if I were to choose, proverbial gun to my head? I feel the North Star Chaos would be the one to take home with me. It’s arguably the least outspoken one in terms of smoke and peat notes, but it’s so rich and beautifully layered at an equally correct price point, making it very hard to argue with its value proposition.

Two more episodes to go in this series, let’s tease you with my pick for next week: arguably, the ultimate, quintessential  NAS!