Review #842 - Port Askaig 17 Year (2023)
The Port Askaig brand, from Elixir Distillers, bottles Islay single malt whiskies. While no source distillery is disclosed on the bottlings, the vast majority of the time, the distillate in these bottles originates at Diageo's Caol Ila. That's indeed the case here - this 17 year old release from 2023 comes from Caol Ila, a distillery which is only half a mile from the port town of Port Askaig which gives this brand its name.
This batch was matured in refill American oak ex-bourbon casks - a total of 60 casks, in fact - and it yielded 9,000 bottles in total. The bottling strength is a solid 50.5% ABV, so flavor should be in so short supply.
Port Askaig 17 Year (2023)
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price: USD 174 (2026)
Age Statement: 17 Years
Strength: 50.5% ABV
Cask Makeup: Refill ex-bourbon casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled 2023; 9,000 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass rested 15+ minutes
Nose: A softer level of peat, building toward medium; wood polish builds behind that, followed by floral notes and some subtle perfume. Lemons, oranges, and other lighter fruits add sweetness.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness. Bright fruits, especially peaches and some lemon, add both sweetness and a tart side. The peat has a medium influence, and it grows with time.
Finish: Peaches, passionfruit, quite tropical actually. The peat smoke becomes softer, and the oak notes begin to show more of the age: polished oak, both sweet and tannic. It's nicely balanced and subtle, but this finish is medium-long.
Final Note: One of the more subtle Caol Ila whiskies that we've tried, but this is really lovely - good balance across the tasting experience. Lots of bright fruit notes show that distillate, and there's a nice mixture of sweetness and sour flavors; the peat is never overwhelmingly strong, but it adds a nice dimension throughout the sip. That age really starts to show in the finish, too, which we always love.
Value is just a little below average since this is also a somewhat expensive bottle; here in the US, it looks like it goes for $150 to $200. Caol Ila has definitely gotten more expensive in recent years, so this may be a typical price for this age statement, but it still feels slightly expensive for a non-cask-strength single malt.
Our Rating: 8.0 / 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: 5.73
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.
Check out our other Port Askaig reviews:
