Отзывы Whiskybase
учтено 70 заметок · текстовых 43 · полный lossless-снимок WB (полнота подтверждена)
Суммаризация отзывов
Молодой, мощный и торфяно-дымный Islay-солод крепостью 57%, который хвалят за интенсивность и соотношение цены и качества, хотя он не отличается сложностью и требует воды. Мнения о балансе и финише расходятся.
развернуть подробно
В отзывах этот виски описывают как очень молодой, крепкий и «в лицо» интенсивный торфяно-дымный солод с ярко выраженным морским и «барбекю»-профилем. В аромате чаще всего отмечают дым, торф, морскую соль, йод, цитрусовые (лимон, грейпфрут), а также сладкие и сливочные ноты — карамель, ирис, ваниль, иногда зелёное яблоко, банан и травянистость. Во вкусе повторяются торф, дым, солёность, перец и пряность, а также ассоциации с копчёным мясом, беконом, оливами, золой и лекарственными/аптечными оттенками; часть отзывов отмечает маслянистость и «новую» спиртуозность. Финиш описывают по-разному: от среднего до длинного, солёного, торфяного, зольного и согревающего, иногда с горечью или быстрым ослаблением из-за молодости.
Общий тон отзывов — это не сложный, но честный и мощный Islay-виски, который хорошо работает за свою цену; многие советуют добавлять воду, потому что в чистом виде он резкий и спиртуозный. Некоторые прямо называют его простым или одномерным, другие — «торфяной бомбой» и очень удачной покупкой; есть и негативные замечания о грубости, недостатке округлости и неудачных партиях. Несколько отзывов сравнивают его с другими молодыми торфяными солодами и спорят о происхождении спирта, но по самим текстам это остаётся предположением, а не установленным фактом.
собрано 43/70 текстовых отзывов · полный lossless-снимок WB
· 2026-10-08T05:26:08Z · источник evidence
The one on the sandy beach at sunset in a group with a campfire... not particularly complex, but well done. [86 - 82 = good whisky -> get (second) bottle? Perhaps...]
Tasted all three versions of Scarabus; regular, BS & 10yo. 82 for the 10yo, 84 for the Batch Strength and I gave an 87 for the regular. Tasted the 10yo H2H with the Batch Strength, the latter just gives so much more flavour. Nose 10yo: There is BBQ and brine, but subdued, as if it was filtered out or something. Maybe longer in a cask is not better for this spirit. Sure peaty and and a little mint in the background, maybe some dark chocolate notes. Nose Batch Strength: Oh much better, nothing subdued. Right in your face. Not an overly active cask, just good spirit. That briny and BBQ from Lagavulin(?) just hits you. No filters were used here. A little green apple and mint on the background, but it is peat right on the foreground. Taste 10yo: easy to drink, but nothing stands out. It feels like time in the cask removed most of the flavours you would like to have in a peaty islay whisky. Some spice, a little tcp and a hint of pepper. The taste is better than the nose. Taste Batch Strength: Raw, spirity and BBQ. I really like this one. Much more delivery, green apples, medicinal and a little white pepper. But it is mostly smoked meat and BBQ’ed pork. Lovely and simple.
нос 87 · вкус 87 · финиш 86
нос 87 · вкус 85 · финиш 83
more body than in 10k (wb171497), better nose, in principle not bad. 22-21.5-21-21.5
Layered nose, so very good! Very quaffable. Splendid!
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 84 | Band-age, melted butter and sweet lemonade to begin with, then lot of caramel fudge, and some green papaya and guava, so the nose is rich, flavoursome, and quite fruity. Orange blossom followed. The fudge lingered. A little mossy, grassy appeared. Then there's the sandalwood. Grapefruit was there too. The fudge was still hanging there. So this baby has layers. Could use more band-aid indeed. |
| Вкус | 86 | So refreshing, and zesty! Adequate amount of smoke. Milk chocolate balls with chewy fillings. The mouthfeel is a little dry. Very quaffable, very enjoyable! |
| Финиш | 85 | Ashy finish built up, which is good. Aftertaste of espresso. Juicy feeling lingered. Splendid! |
нос 83 · вкус 82 · финиш 82
нос 84 · вкус 86 · финиш 86
20 20 21 21 82 very young and strong, well, this, I don't see the point, except maybe on barbecue both on the street and in winter ...
The nose starts again very similar to the standard, only a little more restrained and with some fresh wood in the background. Immediately fuller and more present in the mouth than his brothers. In comparison, the finish is very maritime, the creamy vanilla notes of the brothers are pushed into the background. Length: 6/10 The basic character is very similar to the standard, unfortunately it is not as tasty and creamy, but of course more intense. Grade: 2+
So for the money a top malt. Something different. I would bet on ardbeg, I have 2 other ardbegs on and the tobacco, ham and the cold ash stays in the end with pepper somehow also pear and iodine in the smell. A good portion of lemon yogurt is in the smell and taste. The taste is the best of the malt. Absolutely recommendable for the money. Might as well be a lagavulin...BBQ... This is definitely not standard caol ila
нос 85 · вкус 87 · финиш 85
There are different bottle codes on these bottlings. They only differ in the last five digits, which seems to be a timestamp. I have got two bottles ending on 10:05. Don't know if these are different batches.
A "Peat Bomb" not to be underestimated A very "maritime" profile This young "Batch Strength" is a must for any amateur of raw and uncompromising peat
нос 89 · вкус 85 · финиш 86
A harsh, strong chimney. Maybe even excessively prickly, maybe there is not enough maturity for some roundness to appear, but on the other hand, the aroma is so good! If you wait for the smoke to dissipate, you can search for interesting notes a little.
A solid Islay malt with good value for money.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 87 | Peat, brine, grapefruit, aspirin, cheesy feet |
| Вкус | 86 | Peat, olives, grapefruit, pastries, apple, ash, gauze bandages |
| Финиш | 84 | Medium length - salty, peaty, mineral |
нос 86 · вкус 84 · финиш 85
нос 82 · вкус 81 · финиш 80
нос 86 · вкус 87 · финиш 85
Serge on Whiskyfun.com: Scarabus 'Batch Strength' (57%, Hunter Laing, Islay, 2020) Four stars and a half Love love love Hunter Laing, but I'm asking you, what the hell does 'batch strength' mean? Having said that, the 10 yo at normal strength was glorious. Colour: white wine. Nose: crystal-clean coastal smoke, in the style of those Finlaggans from the olden days. Tincture of iodine, sweat smoke, smoked kippers, gherkins, oysters, whelks, crabs, kelp, cucumbers. With water: marvellous high-precision blade-y coastal peated malt whisky. Very pure and 'millimetric'. Mouth (neat): just super-great-very-good. White asparagus, glue, olives, brine, barnacles. I mean, in the words of Captain Haddock, blistering barnacles! With water: perfect. Hate it that such young whisky bearing a neo-Victorian label and a very lousy name would be this good. It's the end of it all! Finish: perfection rolling out. Salt, lemons, seashells, brine, olives… Comments: reminds me of those cheap aguardientes you can buy incognito in Cuba when no one's watching (which, granted, doesn't happen very often). Very pure and pretty perfect. SGP:467 - 89 points.
Very precise Islay malt (Caol Ila?) with nice minerality. Surprisingly hardly any smoke at first. Sweet ex-bourbon cask whisky as I like it sometimes. Alcohol is very well intergrated. Well I had it after 5 others... But noticable Islay bam effect. Banana ?! citrus, salt, pebbles, soot, ashtray... My company enjoyed it as well. More ashy cold smoke after a while - still not much in the nose. All that for reasonable little money. An artwork of a tube with fancy sealed cork. Even better than the 10 and much better than the Scarabus NAS.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 79 | Phenolic campfire peat smoke with citrus fruits, malty sweetness and maritime notes. |
| Вкус | 79 | Peat smoke with leather, citrus fruits, marine notes and ash. |
| Финиш | 80 | Long with peat smoke, citrus fruits, maritime notes, leather and ash. |
нос 85 · вкус 83 · финиш 82
Tasted on 12.11.2022. Nose: Bourbon, vanilla, hazelnuts, salt, iodine, peat, citruses Taste: Peat, peppery, rubber, propolis, caramel, mint
нос 86 · вкус 86 · финиш 87
нос 87 · вкус 87 · финиш 85
нос 87 · вкус 87 · финиш 86
Aroma fresh yeast dough, artificial sweetness, citrus, salty, maritime Metallic taste, almost new make, apple, pear Finish: Short to medium length, greasy, young
What a balance difference after a large amount of water. This one deserves its points, especially on taste and finish.
нос 84 · вкус 87 · финиш 87
Aroma：Moderate；Palate：84/100; Aftertaste：Medium.
Pretty straight peated whisky, some peatsmoke with sweet and some fruity notes, and powerful. Not complex but pleasant enough.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 85 | A lot of sweet notes, caramel, fudge, with a sweet smokiness and a little sour, citrussy edge. Also grassy, hay. Later on more alcohol. |
| Вкус | 85 | Sal ammoniac, licorice, some ashy smokiness, creamy, caramel. Pretty some power with alcohol. Later on some glue as well, sour fruitiness. |
| Финиш | 84 | Still some power, sweet smoke, ash. Caramel sweetness, pretty long. Later on more glue-like and fruity. |
нос 85 · вкус 84 · финиш 83
A powerfull whisky. Really needs to have a good amount of water
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 81 | Smoke and peat. Strong scent. After adding water also fruity notes of apple and pears |
| Вкус | 82 | Quite strong with smoke and caramel and some peppers |
| Финиш | 81 | Long and warming |
нос 87 · вкус 85 · финиш 86
нос 84 · вкус 88 · финиш 89
нос 84 · вкус 86 · финиш 86
нос 81 · вкус 82 · финиш 81
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 85 | The peat layers are relatively rich |
| Вкус | 85 | Oily, slightly spicy, and slightly astringent |
| Финиш | 84 | middle |
A perfectly serviceable dram which highlights a middle of the road classic Islay taste - cheap as chips.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 84 | Dark chocolate, dried mud, a smoky note but more turf based than wood, the alcohol is slightly prickly. |
| Вкус | 85 | The mouthfeel is pleasant with a bit of body to it - the taste opens with dark chocolate and coffee, the peat is quite subtle as it's followed by the alcohol which brings a hit of white pepper heat. |
| Финиш | 84 | The finish is medium length with the alcohol providing a bit of a burn - there is a whiff of peat, but more of an earth note than a smokey one. |
Whisky tasting on 2025 05 15 84+
In Hungary this is called pálinka :D since I don't think this drink would be so old (3-4 years old), its color also suggests it (it can be third-quarter filled, as its color is completely translucent). This is why i taste "Pálinka" in it.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 85 | sweet peat new make spirit mint |
| Вкус | 84 | sweet new make spirit! oily fruit basket + vegetables spicy |
| Финиш | 86 | medium long medical salty clay dry ash |
Aroma: fresh, sweet and medicinal, malty, grassy, citrus, also honey, apricots but also floral and cereal tones Taste: because it has 57% alcohol whisky, it drinks well. Is it pleasantly smoky, spicy, earthy and probably even a little vegetable olive? For example, pomelo and grapefruit.
нос 83 · вкус 85 · финиш 84
Very nice, sweet and balanced NAS unnamed Islay single malt at high strength. I always dilute it a bit with water. It is intense and peaty but also sweet and friendly at the same time. I was lucky to have picked up an older batch as it seems the latest batch receives lower grades. Whether it is Caol Ila, Lagavulin or Ardbeg: this has similar ashiness as a Cadenhead's Caol Ila a year ago, but it's been a long time since I tasted Lagavulin. Very good!
528-SCARABUS BATCH STRENGTH ISLAY PEATED SINGLE MALT by HUNTER LAING 57%. ...A significant dose of strength—but bearable), very intense aromas. Strong flavors, a cross-section of all grilled flavors. If you enjoy "drinking" salty bacon with grilled fruit, this is the perfect choice. Sit down after a hard day and simply enjoy the contents of a glass, a goblet, etc. I recommend it, but I warn you—this isn't a drink for those unfamiliar with Islay. As for the distillery—it doesn't matter which distillery it comes from—I prefer Lagavulin. The most important thing is that I like it. It pleases the eye and the mouth.
It's as precise and direct as peated new make, in a really refined manner. Has a great kick of peat but in no way too agressive or attacking. Consider the fact that Serge gave it an 89.. It's good. But not that stellar in my books honestly. But what a price, it's around €40 a bottle. Really a bang for your buck then.
нос 84 · вкус 83 · финиш 83
нос 86 · вкус 88 · финиш 86
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 84 | hay, lemonade, wet earth, peat, smoked bacon, some salt |
| Вкус | 84 | pepper, chili sharpness, wet earth, rendered fat, peat, smoked meat, salt, some citrus, wood, white hard candy |
| Финиш | 83 | medium, salt, pepper, wood, peat |
Very similar to the basic version (marine, clear smoke, a bit of honey, vanilla and sweetness, sour apple), there is a herbal note, generally stronger and longer finish. Sweet, smoky, peppery.
нос 86 · вкус 85 · финиш 84
нос 83 · вкус 84 · финиш 83
https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2021/01/29/swc-winter-festival-hunter-laing/ Around 6-7 years old, this composition utilises more virgin cask maturation than the 10yo. Stating ‘batch strength’ as opposed to cask strength allows HL to standardise tubes, packaging etc. N: Firmly spirit-driven once again, this younger stronger version is [top-note] creamier, more toffeed, yeasty, slightly lemonade-y into passing suggestions of calvados, baked cooking apples, leathery half-baked currant buns, poached [firm] pears…. Though similar to the 10yo, I find this far more direct [chiselled] overall. T: Distillate-forward with more oily saline calvados vibes. Again, this is bolder and sharper than the 10yo – unsurprisingly given its younger and stronger abv-wise. It’s sweeter too yet still with a sour side. More apple-y with some pears,… F: ,,.. the peat blasts though in tandem with the spirits’ formidable drive. Slightly floury again and slightly puckering by the death. C: Formidable decent new make-y whisky, demonstrating once again, how well peat works with young-aged spirit – but watch you don’t get carried away,… that there’s something more sublime to it.
Nice, pretty one-dimensional and not very complex Islay malt. Sweet peat-smoke on the nose. Full body arrival with more sweet peat-smoke and gentle spices. Tongue stinging. Long finish. On a cold and windy winter's afternoon you easily empty one of these bottles with a few of your friends.
нос 86 · вкус 85 · финиш 85
Powerful, smoky, young! ????????????
you need to breathe
нос 84 · вкус 83 · финиш 84
Unfortunately, the new Batch Strength does not reach the Specially Selected. Rougher and stronger due to the significantly higher alcohol content. But (just like the new 10yo) not as full-bodied and diverse as the first edition of the Scarabus. Noticeably less color, different character. I don't see the significant surcharge here either. Pity!
нос 85 · вкус 84 · финиш 84
Wonderfully soft. sea shell. Bit fresh. Especially great for this price.
нос 87 · вкус 89 · финиш 87
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 84 | peat, maritime notes, seaweed, malt |
| Вкус | 83 | intense peat, malt, spicy kick, brine |
| Финиш | 82 | spicy, mildly hot |
Smells like Lagavulin 8, with similar maritime notes and the ubiquitous lemon oil, but not very complex.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 85 | Lemon oil, newspaper wrapping a piece of smoked trout, mild, balanced |
| Вкус | 84 | For 57% very round and soft, again that citrus-sour, slightly machine-oily note known from Lagavulin. But after that there isn't much. Nevertheless, a nice experience on the palate. |
| Финиш | 82 | In the finish it then rapidly degrades, there is not quite as much due to the youthfulness of the spirit. |
Nice and strong and quite smoky.
нос · вкус · финиш
| Нос | 83 | Lemon, ash, salty, mineral, peat slowly starting here |
| Вкус | 86 | Lemon honey, peat in the background, nicely balanced |
| Финиш | 85 | It doesn't last very long, but it's still fun. And especially for this money |
Initially I read about these Scarabus bottlings and that it’s been said that this should be Caol Ila or Bunna. But after a visit to my liquor store I know for sure it’s none of these. Scarabus bottlings are with 99.9% certainty Lagavulins. I sure did not taste that instantly and because of the fruity character I was believing it was Caol Ila. But it’s not. That being said; it’s an rather ‘off the record’ kind of Lagavulin. Since they don’t want people to recognize it as such. It needs to be different, but it also needs to be continuously available. Since HL wants their Scarabus batches to be of constant quality, they needed a long term contract with a distillery that wanted to deliver exactly that. And so it happened:) I bought a bottle of CS because it was looking at me for quite some time already but never got to buy it. Somehow the packaging, yes I know that’s silly, kept my interest. So I decided to buy it. Meanwhile the bottle is half way down and I have to admit, this is a fine dram but I won’t buy another. In this price range an Uigeadail for example offers a bit more. Nevertheless I do enjoy it quite a bit. Especially in these winter weather conditions!
Caught bad batch
Nose strongly iodized first of all, we eat foam, we sniff kelp. This reminds me of Caol Ila. Entire granite cliffs collapsing into the sea. Graphite. An ashtray filled with fine ash. Factory smoke, maybe a little toxic. Thick, vegetable peat. Some white fruit with the addition of water, but barely. Unrefined sea salt. Vanilla. Banana. Very oily palate, where the peat imposes itself without suspense, with a beautiful vanilla pod. Completely successful finish, long and charcoal as desired, with an ounce of almonds. It's good! Big Peat and all the other Peat Bombs better watch out! It's powerful, but also subtle, with an ounce of fruit and a very nice finish. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2021/10/scarabus-batch-strength.html
нос 88 · вкус 86 · финиш 89
нос 86 · вкус 87 · финиш 86
нос 89 · вкус 88 · финиш 87
2ndSip
abuijen
neus007
Hvdree
olegborgol
cloudyweedram
VEF206
Ficelli
alex..w..fan
Don Cassi
tribe
grinface
DDzip
fnk
TribleB
besar
gaboruso
JacobaEd
WhiskyShopNeumarkt
GlasMost
aw-home
sarthur71
Skaramalt
Fdu17
TommyHan
blacknapkins
Sporx
MH90
feolai
Dre73
Comet67
jvanopstal
Merl
glengoyner
KrolikMorski
y0tz
Dirac
WARciech
holborndrinker
RedRightHands
Phalat
Izzino
Romansen
Lurkinglen
WhiskyMojaPasja
Lakerfield
Mapl
Vis2020
MaltVader
kornelb
Rino Rotten
WhiskyLovingPianist
Erik1908
DGV
Vladimir Ziryanov
Lukas_Kiene
robbert88
Bottlin Bond
glenrob
DannyHill
LDB
Frankyboy333
MarnickBleeker
Cask1988
Stanzeflasche
mr_braun
zzqfyl
