Review #536 - Elements of Islay Cask Edit

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

While the Elements of Islay brand from Elixir Distillers has a wide variety of Islay single malt releases, often coded with fun periodic table abbreviations related to the distillery or spirit style of origin, there is also a range of blended malts produced. These blends take spirit from multiple distilleries (still all on Islay) and finish them in different ways for several styles of whisky, such as ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and cask strength.

Here we have the Elements of Islay Cask Edit blended malt - the 'core range' or entry product for the brand. This whisky is a blend of two Islay single malts, Laphroaig and Caol Ila, with each distillate making up roughly 50% of the vatting; Elixir then ages the spirit in 4 cask types. Approximately 50% of the maturation is done in refill ex-bourbon hogsheads, while 30% is done in first fill ex-bourbon casks; the remaining 20% of the cask makeup is split between two types of sherry cask. A predominantly ex-bourbon profile, then, which should highlight the peaty distillate involved.

Elixir bottles their whiskies with natural presentation - in this case, it's a strength of 46% ABV, paired with the usual lack of coloring and chill filtration.

Elements of Islay Cask Edit

Scotland/Islay - Blend

Price: USD 64 (2025)

Age Statement: NAS

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon, refill ex-bourbon, and sherry casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Light fruit - lemon, quite citrusy. Bright peat smoke is accented by salt and some mineral scents; the complexion is quite light overall. Briny notes build, and there's a subtle earthy note in the background.

Palate: A medium thickness mouthfeel; salt and pepper, some wood spice - leaning dry on the palate. Dry peat which is medium to strong, and behind that, some lemonade, butter, and a bit of lime.

Finish: Very mineral - lots of slate, salt. Peat lingers, still adding a drying element, and there's some vanilla in the aftertaste; it's a medium length finish.

Final Note: A solid entry point to the Elements of Islay range, if a bit unexceptional. It has a nicely rounded flavor profile, nothing too daring, and the peat smoke influence is relatively strong. As expected with the use of 80% ex-bourbon casks of one sort or another, the profile does lean into those light citrusy and vanilla flavors; not too heavy of a cask influence overall, really.

Value here is about average; this sits around the same price as most of the entry level OB Islay competition in our market, such as Ardbeg 10 Year, Laphroaig 10 Year, and Port Charlotte 10 Year. This has a more rounded, even profile than most of those, but it's also a bit less individualistic and less interesting.

Our Average Rating: 6.0 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.00

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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