In 2023, Port Askaig will release a 17-year-old single malt whiskey matured in traditional American oak casks. Approximately 9,000 bottles will be available each year. Matured whiskeys from Islay are sought after for their flavour, ripeness and limited character.
Whiskeys are selected for their quality and age, blended and bottled at 50.5% alcohol to capture the best taste experience.
The aroma of the whiskey offers notes of smoked meat, melon, ham and grapes mixed with smoky smoke from the fireplace and citrus peel. On the palate, thick smoke and minerality combine with raspberry leaves and chocolate, culminating in red fruits and a hint of medicinal smoke with an herbal finish.
The whiskey is not chill-filtered or colored. The bottles are delivered in stylish gift boxes.
Colour: light brown with amber highlights
Nose: marine, olive, ash, lemon peel, grass, eucalyptus
Taste: herbs, smoke, salted caramel, mussels, nuts, fruit
Finish: long, salty, herbs, smoke
Port Askaig is a series of whiskeys from Elixir Distillers. The brand is named after the town of the same name, which is located on the east coast of Islay and for hundreds of years has been known as the “gateway to Islay”. Many smugglers and whiskey fans have sailed from here and there over the years, and the name has almost become synonymous with smoke and seaweed and tar. Close to the town are also the Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain distilleries, which are rumored to play the main roles in several of the bottlings.
From Port Askaig, the coastline of the nearby Isle of Jura can be seen on a clear day, and it is this coastline that is the motif on the label of the Port Askaig bottlings.
The blender and bottling company Elixir Distillers was founded by the two brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, who are also behind the shop The Whiskey Exchange. They use their extensive experience from virtually every nook and cranny of the spirit world to fuse traditional craftsmanship with an insatiable hunger to experiment and innovate. The main focus is definitely on Scotch whisky, but also Japanese, Irish and American whiskey as well as tequila and rum have found their way into Elixir Distillers’ beautifully designed bottles. Among the most notable brands we find Elements of Islay, Port Askaig, Single Malts of Scotland and Black Tot.
Originally the company was called Specialty Drinks, and the name only changed to Elixir Distillers in 2017 – but if the two brothers blend and bottle whiskey, where does the “Distiller” part come in? Well, in 2018 they announced plans to build a new distillery on Islay’s south coast. The future looks bright for fans of smoke and peat!
