Recently, Alie and I decided to partake in a single malt sample session. We decided to take three single malt whiskeys in our bar and pour ourselves a sample. The three single malts we chose are wildly different from one another, but it helped me appreciate the differences between each expression.
If you haven’t participated in a whiskey tasting before, we recommend you check out our article here. Our Taste Whiskey Like a Pro article will give you all the tips and tricks you need to help you find the most flavorful notes in each whiskey you try.
We prefer using smaller glasses for our tasting. As you can tell, we have an eclectic mix of Glencairn and Acopa-style glasses. On our wishlist is this Glencairn Set with a storage rack. It is a good product if you don’t have a set of tasting glasses already.
As I’ve mentioned, I’m not much of a Scotch person. I find peated Scotch offensive. I always get a strong band-aid flavor from them, typically a byproduct of smoking barley using peat. It is a significant reason I haven’t spent much time trying or writing about Scotch. Our single malt sample session helped me appreciate the peated single malt we tried.
Alie, on the other hand, loves Scotch. For her, smokier is better. However, she doesn’t care too much for the fruity and light Scotch whisky I tend to prefer. As you can imagine, we had different ideas about the best.
1. Komagatake 2021 Single Malt
The first dram in our single malt sample session was the 2021 edition of Komagatake Single Malt. The 2021 Edition is a non-peated single malt. We were given this bottle last spring. One of our friends borrowed one of our cars while visiting the area. He gave us this bottle to repay us for allowing him to use one of our cars.
The Komagatake 2021 Single Malt was a very light single malt. Alie felt like it tasted a bit like a pinot. We picked out a lot of fruit notes, from grapes to apricots. It was light and fruity, with a touch of earthy flavor that some describe as mushrooms. I noticed a bit of funk that tastes very similar to many of the Scotch-style single malts I’ve tried. I’d call it more of a musty wood.
Overall, we enjoyed this pour. We would give it a solid B grade.
2. Oban 14 Single Malt Scotch
The next whiskey in our Single Malt Sample Session was the Oban 14 Single Malt Scotch. This is another bottle we were gifted by one of our close friends. She always offers us pours of Scotch Whisky when we see her. It is a great way to sample different Scotch without investing in a full bottle and not knowing if we will enjoy it.
The Oban 14 is a lightly peated Highland Scotch. It had been recommended to me by several people before we received a bottle. Most of those who recommended it thought I would like it because it isn’t overly peated.
We noticed a bit of over-ripe cherry flavor, along with notes of fig. The nose offered a burst of citrus fruit. On the finish, it was a touch salty with a bit of musty wood that I expected from Scotch. Overall, I didn’t notice much of a band-aid flavor. I think warming up with the Komagatake prepped my palate.
Compared to the Komagatake and after trying our final sample, I rated the Oban the lowest. I would give it a C. We plan on trying this on its own later to give it a fairer review.
3. Lagavulin 16 Single Malt Scotch
The final selection we tried during our single malt sample session was the Lagavulin 16 Single Malt Scotch. The Lagavulin 16 is a powerful Islay Scotch. Nearly every Scotch drinker I talk to enjoys Lagavulin 16, even if it isn’t their top choice.
I was quickly overwhelmed by the Lagavulin 16. My first few sips were strongly band-aid flavor, which is very off-putting. Alie picked up a touch of sweet apple and smoke on the nose, along with the aroma of a worn leather watch. Alie kept picking up earthy notes like clay and some burnt rubber. Alie noted it smelled like her grandpa. Whether or not that is a good or bad thing is probably a personal preference.
I could pick out a touch of citrus and a light floral note before my mouth was overwhelmed by the peat. I could focus on those notes and found that the band-aid taste subsided. I understood why many people enjoy an Islay Scotch despite the strong notes.
On every whiskey-tasting wheel, there are a few selections that seem repulsive. We wonder how anyone could enjoy drinking something that tastes like that. The Lagavulin 16 hits many of those tasting notes yet remains pleasant to drink. Alie gave the Lagavulin a B+, while I’d give it a C-.
Closing Thoughts
We enjoyed our single malt sample session and plan to do more of these side-by-side comparisons in the future. We found it was a great way to enjoy a cold night at home while sampling some of the bottles in our collection that we don’t reach for as frequently. Tasting these different single malts helped me prepare my palate before tasting the Lagavulin 16, so even I could find the best flavors in that pour.
Overall, I enjoyed the Komagatake most of the three we tried. The light and floral flavors stood out in the non-peated 2021 edition bottle we tried. Alie enjoyed the Lagavulin 16 the most. She enjoyed the smoke and funk of a very traditional Islay Scotch. Despite leaving the Oban 14 out of our top spots, we can’t wait to give it a try again on its own.
Happy Exploring!
