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McClellands Islay Reviews
- Distillery
- McClellands
- Style
- Single Malt
- Release
- Unspecified
- Age
- 5 Years
- Alcohol
- 40% abv.
- Region
- Scotland, Islay
- Bottled For
- Distillery
The McClelland's Single Malt family is a range of Single Malt Scotch whiskies from four of Scotland's key whisky distilling regions - Highland, Islay, Speyside and the Lowlands. McClelland's is a budget Scotch, priced at a fraction of most single malts, and cheaper than most blends or call brands of other liquors. There is no McClelland's distillery, rather it is a 5 year old bottling of one of several other Morrison Bowmore distillery's spirit.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- light gold
- Nose
- Heavy smoke, bit of vanilla
- Body
- thick, heavy,
- Palate
- iodine
- Finish
- Very aggressive at first, then hot, but fading quickly
Very immature whiskey. Though cheap, it's not worth the money.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- light amber
- Nose
- peat
- Body
- light and smoky
- Palate
- not overwhelming peat, but good
- Finish
- a nice,mild finish
I think this is a fine, every day single malt whiskey. I simply can't afford to drink Laphroaig or Lagavulin all the time, at $70+ a bottle. However, I can enjoy McClellands at $24 a bottle locally. You make some concessions, but you still have a nice, Bowmore-style Islay single-malt to drink.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Pale Amber
- Nose
- Overripe apple, musty peat.
- Body
- Thin, hot, almost peppery. Pungent.
- Palate
- Pepper, slight medicine taste.
- Finish
- Hot, fades quickly to peat, few overtones.
Not very pleasant. The nose and palate mix poorly, too much contrast. A cheap whisky that tastes like one.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- golden
- Nose
- a bit harsh, some peat, a little hay
- Body
- a bit rough
- Palate
- defined peat
- Finish
- hot on the throat
This is a single malt that is for the budget drinker. I can appreciate a nice Lagavulin every now and then (and even keep some at hand), some Laphroigh a little more often, and a good Talisker as well. However, those can all break the bank in a hurry. This is a good "house malt" if you will... and it also benefit greatly from just a bit of water.
McClellands Islay
Review by Ofrmgfo
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Heavy smoke, peat, and tar
- Body
- Bold, really bold.
- Palate
- A clipper ship on fire
- Finish
- Strong to the end, alcohol more than obvious
What a surprize. I'm used to the Glenmorangie "type" singles, and this one was not that. It opened with smoke, peat, smoke, tar, and perhaps a touch of burnt Bakelite. After all that the flavor of scotch does come through. If I were making a blend I would in fact use a bit of this to add a smoky flavor. With a handful of ice cubes and a dollop of milk this became quite drinkable.
McClellands Islay
Review by Knowcomputers
- Color
- Medium brown
- Nose
- More peat and earthy.
- Body
- Good texture, but a bit of burn.
- Palate
- More of a wood or forest by the sea feel.
- Finish
- Shorter finish compared to the Lowlands.
Inconsistent between bottles. Very different experience from first to second.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- pale gold
- Nose
- intense peaty almost compost, iodine/antiseptic. sea-salt. Nose on this scotch is powerful.
- Body
- light-bodied for a single-malt. young age shows here.
- Palate
- peaty-compost, iodine/antiseptic, dry. Negligible fruit and smoke.
- Finish
- sea-salt, iodine, peaty finish. very very dry.
peaty, iodine/antiseptic, sea-salt dominates. very little sweetness, scant smokiness. Nose remiscent of Teachers. Worth a try for the adventurers. Ice mellows and enhances sweet and fruit a touch.
McClellands Islay
Review by DeeWzzl
- Color
- Amber
- Nose
- Heavy smoke, peat
- Body
- Peaty. Not overwhelming, and very good.
- Palate
- Stuck my mouth into the peat bog.
- Finish
- Aggressive at first, then very nice and pleasing.
I don't care if others refer to it as "beginner" or "budget". I've had plenty o' Scottish dews, and this is a teriffic buy for the experience.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- pale amber
- Nose
- Peat, cinnamon, something vaguely floral
- Body
- Light
- Palate
- Restrained peat and salt. Relatively mild but a bit rough, very light peat, slightly sweetish, no primary taste note.
- Finish
- light but lingering finish with a wee bit of iodine
Errors of omission rather than commission; nothing special here but nothing nasty either. An unremarkable, passable, islay-ish whisky. If it weren't inexpensive it would be useless, but it does hit a nice price/value mark.
McClellands Islay
Review by Flinchy
- Color
- medium amber
- Nose
- pleasant nose; a bit floral for an Islay; hints of vanilla and (distantly) peat
- Body
- unassertive but not unpleasant in the mouth; mild burn
- Palate
- as others have said, there's really no predominant flavor; hints of fruit, vanilla, with mild notes of smoke and peat - but less of the latter than usual in an Islay whisky
- Finish
- pleasant but unremarkable finish; warms for just a moment, then a somewhat abrupt ending. Nothing memorable but nothing offensive either.
It seems a stretch to call this a true Islay, but with such a low price it seems pointless to be overly critical. Like Bowmore's Legend label, it offers a bit of that smoky Islay flavor at a budget price, but it doesn't quite match even that for flavor. Will do in a pinch if you want to taste some peat but funds are low and the store is out of Bowmore Legend.
McClellands Islay
Review by Williamson
- Color
- Dark gold
- Nose
- Iodine is the first note that strikes you. Then some oak, chocolate, mildly peated and gentle. Almost like a young Bowmore for that matter.
- Body
- Big and oily. Good temperament.
- Palate
- Sea air, but not so stormy. A bit tangy, which distracts. Citrus, almost sweet chocolate-like (Or will I go for vanilla?). Peaty oak and honey.
- Finish
- Sweeter notes tend to stick around, after a short moment of uprising peat. Still a bit tangy, and that's a shame since the taste is so much better than I read here.
The Bowmore-like nose got me wondering, and I have gotten confirmed that this is indeed a young Bowmore, 5 years old. The Bowmore Legend is 8 years old, which illustrates that magic an additional 3 years can do. Still a good everyday dram, and despite the immaturity this is very illustrative for these characteristics we all like so much.
McClellands Islay
Review by Wilderthanyou2367
- Color
- Light Honey
- Nose
- light smoke, peat, honey, floral.
- Body
- Slick
- Palate
- Oak, and grappa .Caramel, and Manuka Honey finish.
- Finish
- Long sweet finish, warm, lightly astringent.
A pretty good, everyday, single malt if you consider the price.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Light gold
- Nose
- Lightly smokey, slightly floral, earthy
- Body
- Light, with a wee harsh bite
- Palate
- Harsh oak flavours with a background of oak, sweet floral bouquet.
- Finish
- Calm and fading, still gritty but with a soft aftertaste
A surprisingly good single malt for the price. It shows its young age with its harsh oak-flavored bite, but carries sweet secondary flavors of peat, salty sea spray, and floral. Distinctly Islay, which makes it unique among Scotches. An excellent value, and quite enjoyable.
McClellands Islay
Review by Victor
- Color
- pale amber
- Nose
- moderate peat, earth
- Body
- moderate body, a little viscous
- Palate
- moderate peat, noticeable barley malt, a little salt
- Finish
- moderate length of finish, peatsmoke remains til the end
Forget the "budget malt" and "beginner's malt" talk. This whisky is worth buying and drinking on its own merits. It makes a great "everyday dram", and represents phenomenal value relative to its cost.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Honey
- Nose
- Smoke, Iodine, Burnt Rubber
- Body
- Nicely smooth, slightly oily
- Palate
- Iodine, and Burnt Rubber
- Finish
- Very dry, short finish
Very strong Iodine. Not much burn but overwhelming smoky, burnt oak and tar flavor. Regardless of price, I could not imagine drinking an entire dram.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- light honey color
- Nose
- Moderate peat and light smoke with some indistinct fruit in the background.
- Body
- Moderately rich and smooth with good legs up and down the glass.
- Palate
- A half-bale of peat to be spread in the garden.
- Finish
- A good, but light finish, warming alcohol feel, but tailing off.
About the best budget whiskey I've had as yet. Very drinkable; a real single malt experience; a peaty taste of Islay. Bought at a state liquor store with a rebate for $16, it can't compete with Ardbeg on merits, but at 1/3 the cost, it sure does on price.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Nice golden honey brown with good legs.
- Nose
- Smoke, Peat, leather, spices and slight alchohol. Fairly complex.
- Body
- Medium body but yet soft at the same time.
- Palate
- Slightly sweet spices at the beginning of the tounge fallowed by a strong but not unpleasant leather/ peat and very slight alchohol burn at the back of the throat. Fairly interesting because the flavor is different than expected by the nose.
- Finish
- Not the longest finish ever by anymeans but good. Slight alchohol burn. The leather is replaced by a mildly sweet fruit/ spice finish.
I'm new to all Scotch other than the basic Speysides so I don't know my Islays too well though I've sampled plenty of different American and Canadian Whiskeys/ Bourbons as well as other distilled drinks. I've never tasted anything like this. Probably a good entry into the world of Islays. It's priced low. If most the other Islays fallow the lines of this I'd be pretty damn happy! Score is based on the value of the Scotch. I'd drink this over Glenfiddich or something generic like that.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- does it matter? i dont really get why this is in all the whisky books. to avoid counterfit?
- Nose
- Definitely tries for the Islay trio. Peat, smoke and medicinal. Sickly sweet undertone, which is made worse with the addition of a little water. Overwhelming alcohol makes it difficult to find subtler notes, if present.
- Body
- Burning. Someone mentioned inconsistency between bottles. Perhaps this one is oddly strong.
- Palate
- Peat, bitter, odd sweetness that doesn't seem to mesh. Better flavor without water and mouth closed. Without water and mouth open causes vapor induced coughing fit. Water makes the sting more bearable, but opens up the flaws.
- Finish
- Acid reflux.
Yeesh. I know people are saying this is an everyday scotch, but at $30 a bottle I would rather go the extra 10 and get a Laphroaig or a blend. This is a young, harsh and not particularly enjoyable whisky. I can think of one I like less, and it was also an immature bottling strictly for profit.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Light golden amber
- Nose
- Heavy smoke, antiseptic hints
- Body
- Thin, but legs would suggest otherwise
- Palate
- Burnt leather, iodine, hospital bed, peat, dirt, salty notes...not a pleasant taste to me.
- Finish
- Overpowering alcohol burn and smoke...unpleasant
As a new scotch drinker I did not enjoy this bottle.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Med. amber
- Nose
- Peat, vanilla, dried apricots
- Body
- A bit thin, with a burn, but some nice grain finish.
- Palate
- No iodine (I gather other reviewers have never worked with real iodine-as a researcher I do. Not very peaty - more salt sea spray.
- Finish
- Strong then tapers off quickly. Short finish, though not unpleasant.
I'll counter the snobs here. This is what it is: a very drinkable, affordable whiskey (and yes, I've had some of the best). No, it's not an Ardbeg or Lagavulin (not even Highland Park), but it's also $22 a bottle. Fine for what it is; very nice neat or a mixer. Stop complaining, boys!
McClellands Islay
Review by Quisnic
- Color
- Mild amber
- Nose
- Smoke,Iodine & Peaty
- Body
- Light body, slightly oily
- Palate
- Oak, Peat and slight smoke
- Finish
- Dry, short finish,unremarkable finish.
Worth spending the money... Great to share... does require some H2O.
McClellands Islay
Review by Anonymous
- Color
- Dirty gold
- Nose
- Wet pine, mint toothpicks, moldy christmas tree, seaweed
- Body
- Quite thick and oily
- Palate
- Pine, wood, cracked pepper, peat
- Finish
- Medium in length, slightly sweet, not bad. The only redeeming quality of this whisky
Perhaps I got a bad bottle, but this is the worst malt I have ever tasted. I didnt even finish my dram. The nose on this one makes my stomach curdle. There is something wrong here.
McClellands Islay
Review by Poorman
- Color
- dark honey
- Nose
- slight peat, medicine
- Body
- smooth
- Palate
- Iodine, slight peat, mostly Iodine, medicinie
- Finish
- long aftertaste of Iodine