The Character of Islay Whisky Company is another brand from the people behind the Master of Malt website. They know that there are better margins to be made selling their own bottles of whisky than reselling official bottles. The prices are now so high on bottles through a mixture of taxation, production costs and wholesale price rises that the margins for retailers is under constant threat. Like a bricks and mortar shop they are able to make better margins by bottling their own stuff. The only major difference is a business like Master of Malt or The Whisky Exchange have larger resources for their projects over your average high street independent retailer. So we get entire new series or brands rather than the odd single cask.

Hence a new brand for single malts from the Isle of Islay with simple branding and a funny name. The name is an anagram of “Ten Year Old Islay” but for some reason the name gives me connotations of American 1930’s culture which is odd. Anyway, what is the whisky actually like?

The Dram

The Aerolite Lyndsay bottle is the first from the new brand and is aged for at least 10 years. The colour is natural and the filtering is non-chilled. The bottles came out close to a year ago now but they are still available for under £45. The unnamed distilleries spirit was matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry quarter casks before bottling at a respectable 46% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Colour – pale yellow

Nose – sea spray, brine, iodine and a medicinal stale smoky islay note.

Palate –  medium texture with apples, smoked fish and lemon. The longer you hold it the more citric is becomes.

Finish – Quite a short finish but its full of woody sappy smoke

Final Thoughts

I liked it a lot but I do think its more spirit led than the recipe would suggest with those small sherry quarter casks. I wouldn’t pay a penny more than £45 but at that price it is a good honest and interesting islay smoky dram.