The Dark Side of Islay 22-year-old MoS

Name: The Dark Side of Islay 22-year-old MoS
Brand: The Dark Side of Islay
SKU: 118882
Rating: 89.71 (123 reviews)

Overall rating: 89.71/100
votes: 123

Whiskybase ID: WB118882
Category: Blended Malt
Bottler: Malts of Scotland (MoS)
Bottling serie: Mulindry
Bottled: 2018
Stated Age: 22 years old
Number of bottles: 1065
Strength: 48.9 % Vol.
Size: 50 ml 700 ml
Added on: 14 Oct 2018 4:09 pm by Murphy

Average value

€ 198.56

Found 2 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 269.00

	Buy in the Market	€ 299.00

Create a free Whiskybase account to view 1 additional offers and compare bottle prices of sellers all over the world
Create free account

46 × in wishlist

123 × member ratings

196 × in collection

Default bottling

There is 1 other release…

Whisky Reviews for The Dark Side of Islay 22-year-old MoS

21 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 89.71 points

didi1893 scored this whisky 90 points
28 Oct 2018 8:08 pm
A tasty and very well balanced blend. Normally, a blend with me does not trigger any buying stimulus, and in this bottling shortly after the tasting, the angel and devil have delivered a fierce fight. The little devil said, "Do not buy it, it's just a blend!" whereupon the little angel on the other shoulder said: "Buy him, he's damn tasty!" Wonderfully smoky and characterized by dark fruit flavors, this blend really whets the appetite for more ...

23/23/22/22 (90P)

Nose

Dark, almost rust-brown amber gleams mysteriously in the Premium Snifter, long oily "legs" pull their tracks back into the glass on the glass wall. The first nosing raises powerful roasted aromas and dried berries, mineral peat and sweet smoke massage the olfactory suppositories, creamy caramel melts with dark berries and old oranges to a fragrant mixture. Peppermint and hazelnuts combine with apricots before slightly decayed wood tones are brought to bear. The alcohol is harmoniously integrated, gradually cherries and bacon released in butter come to light.

Taste

Cold smoke and a hint of ash envelop the tongue and clothe the palate with dark fruit and burned wood flavors. Creamy, spicy wood elements merge, dark dried berries and cold smoke play together, a light tingle tickles the tongue. Oily butter and a hint of bacon, hazelnuts and caramelized sugar end in dark fruit flavors. Slowly, my saliva is stimulated, again come voluminous smoke flavors to advantage. Old peppermint provides a refreshing contrast to the otherwise rather dark and creamy elements, hazelnuts and almonds are roasted in a pan.

Finish

Creamy and oily, the dark aromas in the mouth float, walnuts and spicy wood tones dissolve from sweet dried berries and grapes. With a subtle smoke and Aschenote the aftertaste passed relatively quickly, with a discreetly sharp film is still stuck to the tongue and fresh mint pulls through the palate. Oily, the different flavors blur together, a sweet and fruity smoky note remains for a relatively long time with walnuts in memory.
Koalafant scored this whisky 92 points
10 Jun 2019 12:38 pm

A superbly balanced blended malt. A strong portion of sherry sweetness paired with a finely dosed portion of smoke. Altogether quite complex and in constant change. Chocolate and coffee notes can be found as well as the typical sherry fruit flavors. Among other things, some leather, a hint of tobacco and some oak as the opposite pole. The smoke is not intrusive, but clear. The alcohol level is also very appropriate: high enough to push all the aromas forward, but without alcohol or burning. Top!
Blake or Mortimer? scored this whisky 89 points
29 Oct 2018 8:49 pm

Very good, no doubt, but in my book less so than the first edition (Scarabus).
A little surprised about average rating (above 91 at time of writing) to be honest. I'm more of a high scorer usually, but 89 seems a honest scoring when compared to other high-level Whiskies I've been tasting today.
markjedi1 scored this whisky 87 points
01 Dec 2020 9:00 pm

Sherry, Spices, Peat

The Dark Side of Islay series from Malts of Scotland currently consist of 4 releases: Scarabus from 2016, Octovulin from 2017, this Mulindry from 2018 and the 2020 release of Ardenistiel. These are all blended malts that consist of – obviously – malts from Islay. I tried the Scarabus end of 2018 and thought it was divine. Now the Mulindry sits in my glass, named after the Mulindry Farm, just north of Bowmore and close to Bridgend.

Leather and tobacco, dried fruit like figs and dates, mild smoke and quite some spices like coriander, cloves and cinnamon. Pretty herbal indeed. Dark chocolate and toffee start to dominate and hide the fruit a little, but all in all this is a very pleasant, dark & sweet and very sherried nose.

Nicely oily and immediately sweet on dried fruit, raisins and sherry. Hazelnuts, nougat, espresso and chocolate precede the spices. And those are aplenty: cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, cloves and black pepper. Feels almost like I’m drinking spicy sherry, if not for the lovely smoke – which does not dominate by the way.

The long finish starts off quite sweet, fruity and very smoky, but then quickly evolves towards dry and even a tad salty. At the death, it’s all about smoke.

Intense blended malt that enjoys three sides: sherry, spices, peat. Wonderful winter dram.
voodoochile scored this whisky 89 points
19 Sep 2020 8:17 am
This one is very well blended. South Coast Islay, a bit from the north. Smoky, warm and well rounded. Blends the best of Islay together into one bottle.

Nose

88 88

Taste

89 89

Finish

89 89
Archer scored this whisky 89 points
12 Nov 2018 7:37 pm
A very well-balanced blend that does not hide its origin (Islay), but that does not carry it like a monstrance. The smoke is expected to be subtle (but noticeable), the flavors beautifully connected. Blind you would not necessarily recognize him as a blend.

Nose

90 90

Dark fruit with notes of dried dates and slightly sulphurised raisins. Leather and tobacco notes. Not too intense smoke (which can be described as quite suitable for the at least 22-year maturity period). Dark chocolate, toffee, caramel and honey. Rich in spicy notes: cinnamon, coriander, cloves, nutmeg, pepper. The spice component displaces the dried fruit after a while and combines with leather and tobacco to a beautiful "elderly" nose.

Taste

89 89

Immediately sweet dried fruits on the tongue. Palate-pleasing and pleasant with high viscosity. Nougat chocolates, toffee sweets, caramel, honey, café au lait, raisin bread. Again cinnamon and coriander, cloves, pepper. Almost a waxy feeling on the tongue. Somewhat clear oak impact, whereby one might have expected more. Very reserved, as far as the smoky note is concerned.

Finish

89 89

Medium long and drier over time. The oak increases in intensity and so also enhances the dark fruits and spices.
Fight65 scored this whisky 90 points
15 Feb 2021 10:40 pm
Great Islay Blend !!!

Nose

89 89

Peppermint wrapped in smoke. The nose does not yet promise what will follow.

Taste

91 91

Extremely creamy, oily dram that is full-bodied. Soft, beautiful notes of dark fruits, tobacco and nut flavors and the whole thing nicely integrated into a sweet smoke. Perfect!

Finish

90 90

Full-bodied, medium-length finish that comes along nicely. A perfect blend!
Nikilema scored this whisky 88 points
10 Jan 2021 10:48 am
dominikbraun scored this whisky 89 points
01 Dec 2020 10:40 pm
I am pleasantly surprised. Complex, tasty, juicy, great!

Nose

89 89

Taste

90 90

Finish

89 89
Samwise2020 scored this whisky 90 points
29 Nov 2020 4:12 pm
Nose

91 91

Taste

90 90

Finish

90 90

Tastingtags

Add tasting tags by clicking the flavours you recognized in this whisky.

Whiskybase

Whiskybase is founded in 2007 with the goal to create the biggest resource of whisky information in the world. A community driven website built by and for whisky enthusiasts.

Whiskybase B.V.
Zwaanshals 530
3035 KS Rotterdam
The Netherlands

KVK: 52072819
VAT: NL850288836B01