mcclellands islay
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
