I need to say this up front – this scotch is not for the faint of heart. The Smokehead bottle comes in a can embossed with many words about how large the flavour is, and it deserves them all (and I don’t even know what ‘phenolic’ is). That said, while it might taste a little rough, it doesn’t taste cheap, and after a few tastings you begin to appreciate the incredible levels of smokiness.
Neat: it smells loud. Fills the nose quickly, mostly wood and alcohol. Coats the tongue, flavour is largely in the burn, and leaves lips tingling. Lots of burn.
With ice: peat and smoke comes through full blast, as well as brine.
This should be no-one’s first scotch, but if you enjoy peat and smoke, definitely give this a try. Would go well with strong cheese.
Smokehead – 43% 750ml – $59.95 – Islay
Try it? Definitely. Buy it? Only for peat monsters.
[…] are people who feel this way about the peat or burn in Scotch, and, truly, there are bottles like Smokehead that seem to elevate that smokey taste beyond balance or proportion. Just my $0.02. Tags: beer, […]
[…] are people who feel this way about the peat or burn in Scotch, and, truly, there are bottles like Smokehead that seem to elevate that smokey taste beyond balance or proportion. Just my $0.02. Tags: beer, […]