The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Douglas Fraser
Rating: B-
Finlaggan Old Reserve, a sourced Islay malt
(Credit: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company)
Mystery surrounds this Islay single malt scotch, as there are many who wonder which distillery is responsible for producing the whisky. There is little to no information on the distillery responsible and the only information that is available is that it is a series in The Vintage Malt Whisky Company’s portfolio. Loch Finlaggan is a place on Islay that was of great importance in western Scotland during the 13th to 15th centuries. Known as the Center for the Lordship of the Isles, the historic Scottish castle was home to Clan Donald; often called the Cradle of Clan Donald.
The Scotch
This heavily peated whisky has striking similarities to Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Caol Ila, and Ardbeg. The Vintage Malt Whisky Company insists that only one of the Islay distilleries produces Finlaggan ,but there is no way to confirm this because its secrets are tightly locked away. Bottled at 40% ABV, this whisky is a soft, well balanced peaty malt that may be a good alternative for those who would like to spend less than the more expensive name brands. Finlaggan Old Reserve has no age statement
The Scotch
Nose: smoky, peaty, salty, oak, vanilla, green apple
Palate: smoke, peaty, firewood, caramelized sugar, iodine, vanilla
Finish: smoke, pepper, smooth, peaty, leather, medium length
The Price
This independently bottled single malt can be found in America for between $20 – $30, depending on the state. In the UK, expect to pay about £32.
Do you have any comparison of this to the Trader Joe’s marketed Islay Storm? I’ve had the Islay Storm but not the Finlaggan. The bottles look kind of similar. I wonder if it might be the same whiskey going through different marketing channels. I can get the Islay Storm for $20 in my area, but the Finlaggan is at $30. Both are NAS Islay mystery distiller releases bottled at 40% abv. Thanks.
Never heard of Islay Storm. Do you mean Talisker Storm?
https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/19204/talisker-storm
Hi Jeff, sorry for such a late response. I work for The Vintage Malt Whisky Company who produce both Finlaggan and Islay Storm and can confirm they are very different products and come from different distilleries on Islay. Hope that helps. Best Kim King
Kim King, I finally circled back to this review some how. Thanks for your reply – better late than never!
A “VERY” UNUSUAL FLAVOR. I DO LIKE IT.
❤️💖 it’s the best ratio quality/price I’ve found that year. I don’t remember where I buy it. Can you give me available shopping places. Thanks
sorry I wrote my comment under website – I’ll try again
I was buying Finlaggan old reserve Islay single malt scotch at Trader Joe’s in Las Vegas, NV U.S.A.
They no longer carry it – I have tried several other brands but nothing, in my opinion, compares to
the taste/flavor of Finlaggan. No other place in Las Vegas carries this brand
Can you suggest any brand that I could buy that would be comparable in taste to Finlaggan.
It’s discouraging to find a scotch I like so much and then find I can buy it anymore.
PLEASE MAY i HEAR FROM YOU – I’ve written you before but never had a reply
Thank you/Carla Shuster
Hi Carla
We too used to buy Finlaggan at Trader Joe’s in LV. We loved the intense peaty smoky flavor of that scotch, one of our favorites. Sorry to hear TJ’s no longer carries! We recently have found Finlaggan online at Suburban Wine and Spirits in NY. We excitedly ordered three bottles of this dream scotch! Only to be so incredibly disappointed that they must have changed their recipe! It is no longer peaty or smoky! A sweet cherry scent now is on the nose, and a mild smoke on the finish. We will now have to rely on Laphroaig and Ardbeg (both Islay scotches) to give us the flavor we are looking for. Hope this helps.
I’m another who loves Finlaggan. I had been buying it at Trader Joe’s for about 10 years I’m thinking. But because I live in Oregon where liquor is only sold in state sanctioned stores I had to buy it in case amounts on those occasions when I travelled to California or Washington.
Last week some friends offered to pick up a case when they visited their daughter near San Francisco. I called ahead to the TJ’s store nearest their destination. Let’s just say I was shocked and saddened to here the liquor department manager tell me, after an abnormally long wait that not only was there none on the shelf but it was no longer on his warehouse order list. At least I still have a few bottles left to savor but I look at it as the end of an era.
I got 2 bottles of Finlaggan at the TJ Centennial Hills in LV about 2-3 weeks ago, end of July – they had a sign out but no bottles out, they had a case in the back.
Try again. My TJs just started selling it again (Sacramento area)
I agree with you – it’s incredible whisky at a great price.
Best bang for the buck! I try new scotch eveytime I see one and I was really impressed with the quality for the money. I really like smoky Islay whisky but don’t always want to spend the high price. This is my regular end of day drink. One review I read said they think its only six years old. A young whisky. Only six?! That’s a lifetime compared to other whiskey. Wink wink. I found it at TJs and was skeptical at first but was pleasantly surprised. If you like it smokey its a good buy. Cheers.
Bought it twice so far at TJ. Last year August and this year August. $23 for 750 ml Finn Old reserve. I have had other Islays- Lagu Laph Ard. This one is a well balanced peat and excellent value for money.
Ralphy from youtube has conjectured that Finlaggan may actually be one distiller’s malt that’s aged in a different distiller’s used barrels.. i.e. young Lagavulin stored in old Caol Ila barrels. This would explain why it’s a bit difficult to nail down exactly who produces it.
Either way, it’s a shockingly good dram for that price point.
For sure Swelle! There seems to be some cross pollinating going on here I get the Caol Ila but not in the taste as much as the nose and I’ll buy a young Lagavulin. Ralphy seems to have nailed it here. But still it’s only speculation until we get the goods from someone like Kim King from The Vintage Malt Whisky Company. Sláinte Macleod
Finlaggan is back at Trader Joe’s (at least in Los Angeles)! Good grief, being out for months during a pandemic really killed my drinking, but it’s BACK, and delightful as ever.
Tucson, too! I’m excited to try it.
Picked up a bottle at TJ in Spokane just before New Years.
Best Islay for the buck to me
Why does the Finlaggan Scotch have iodine in the ingredience
It doesn’t. The writer is saying one of the flavor notes is iodine. We often say sweeter malts have honey notes in them, for example, but honey is never added to the whisky.
Did you really think that they added tar to it as well?
I just purchased a bottle of the Finlaggan Old Reserve at Trader Joe’s in Brentwood, CA 94513 just a few minutes ago! I’ve never had a better tasting ‘earthy smoky peat’ flavored single malt scotch that truly rivals the brands that are 3 to 4 times this price point! It is an amazingly warming scotch on these cold and rainy days we’ve been having lately! Tastes of pepper, tar and iodine doesn’t sound too appealing, but believe me, it works!
I just purchased a bottle for the first time at Binny’s in Chicagoland area…Excited to give it a try!