Elements of Islay Ma3 Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (500ml)

Two ex-bourbon barrels of peated malt from Bunnahabhain were used for this whisky. Distilled in 2004 and aged for over 15 years, it's been described as a dram full of bucolic peat and citrus. With only 734 bottles produced, allocations for the Australian market are minimal. Reviews for Ma2 were strong (see below) so expect this to be another cracker. 55.2% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... [Ma2 tasting note] This is Margadale, another name for the peated Bunnahabhains. Excuse me? No, flippers and auction cats, ‘Ma’ does not mean Macallan in this context. Colour: straw. Nose: a clean one this time, fresh, beautifully coastal, rather delicately smoky, with pinewood smoke, peat smoke, grapefruits, pine cones, and just the usual drops of limoncello. With water: perhaps one tiny drop of pineapple juice. Mouth (neat): very beautiful, vertical, citrusy, smoky, with just touches of vanilla and a little salt. Simple and perfect. With water: even more so. Superb lemons and limes, plus a little olive oil, seawater, and a bitterer smoke. Finish: long, fruitier, and a wee tad lactic, certainly not a bad thing. Catalan cream. Comments: just excellent, some high-precision young peated Islay. Eternal glory to John MacLellan! 90 points. - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

Notes from the bottler... Marmalade on burnt toast, buttered crumpets, grilled banana and pineapple. The smoke is earthy, mellow and inviting like a summer barbeque. Creamy with burnt orange peel and macadamia nuts. A rollercoaster of robust peat that builds and then descends, accompanied by sumptuous fruit flavours: gooseberry, honeydew melon and a salt-rimmed margarita. Fresher and slightly green; pine, vanilla, concentrated apple juice.