Review #83: Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2016

Samaroli Islay Blended Malt 2016

100% barley distilled in a double pot still in the Laphroaig distillery along with other Islay distilleries. This is one of Samaroli's classic blends due to its unique marine location, Islay malts are all very distinctive with their trademark aromas of smoke, iodine, and kelp.

Islay - NAS - NCF - NCA- Sample ($160 at the local) - 50%

Color - Ripe Corn

Nose - Sea air, kelp, iodine, sweetness, ginger, cereal

Taste - Cereal, ash, lemon peel, yeast

Finish - Long - Iodine, cigar ash, honeyied vanilla, french bread

Overall - 5 - This is a very nice dram, and would happily drink as many as offered, but $160 just seems about double what this bottle should cost. This dram was a little more straight forward than I thought it would be. The finish is big and long, especially considering the minimal ABV. This reminded me of the Battlehill Laphroaig 10 with cereal notes. Samaroli is known for doing cask strength and having this dram at cask strength, probably would be amazing.

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner

Inclusive Ratings

Overall 6.1

Standard Deviation 0.92

Skew 0.66

Kurtosis -0.46

Islay 6.3 (30)