McClelland’s Islay Single Malt is a “mystery malt” (or bastard malt) that is put out by the Morrison Bowmore company who, as the name suggests, owns Bowmore which is an Islay Single Malt brand. Even though they have never said where the Islay juice comes from this connection has led many to believe, myself included, that it’s just young and undesirable barrels from Bowmore.
As a general rule I have nothing against NDP whiskies, because at the end of the day it’s all about the quality the brand sources and when it comes to McClelland’s that quality has always been lacking for me. Many NDPs, like Cadenhead’s, Cheiftan’s or Signatory, pride themselves on picking and bottling cherry casks. McClelland’s on the other hand seems to go the other route and bottle the barrels distilleries don’t want and then market them as cheap single malts, but even at their low prices I still feel ripped off after tasting what’s actually in the bottle.
McClelland’s Islay Single Malt Review
ABV: 40%
Age: NAS
Price: $30
Bottler: Morrison Bowmore
EYE
Old straw
NOSE
An ambiguous sweetness comes up first followed by some smoked meat, peat and lots of vanilla. A light tropical fruit (banana heavy), a bit of melon, smoked fish and brine. Little hints of iodine, dried fruit, turmeric, char and a fairly strong alcohol burn give this an aroma that has promise, but gets beat down by the stronger funky notes.
PALATE
All malt and no bite. Some light notes of vanilla, banana heavy tropical fruit, coconut, a little char, a little peat, a little smoke and a weird funk. The nose is vastly more complex than the palate with this whisky and that absence makes it feel like something is missing.
FINISH
A light nutty character with some malt, banana, Nilla Wafers and weird funk. It’s mercifully short.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Everything feels off; like the whole thing is working against itself. The light and watery body makes it feel lifeless and simplistic giving it the texture of a ball bearing rolling around a track.
OVERALL
The nose is surprisingly agressive and comes off like a complex argument. The palate on the other hand is remarkably dead in comparison which leaves the finish to be the best part of this whisky and that’s not saying much. I’m convinced that Morrison Bowmore uses the McClelland brand as a dumping ground for undesirable barrels which they then overcharge for.
SCORE: 75/100
In advance of a trip to Scotland, and as a scotch neophyte, I purchased a bottle (yes, based on price) to start my scotch journey. I’m only familiar with bourbon so I have no knowledge base, but I have to say I liked this. Based on the comments here I suspect I’ll REALLY like the expensive stuff!
I suspect you will. Cheers Mike!
Liquid Smoke
Found this review site after I purchased this stuff. To me the smoke flavor, or maybe I should say, what is providing the smoke flavor has a real artificial taste to it like someone poured Liquid Smoke in the barrel. Have tried it in cocktails to see if mixers would mask it but that artificial flavor will not be denied. I’m afraid the rest of this bottle is going to help sanitize the kitchen drain.
Sorry to hear you fell into this one too. Cheers Hrob!
Tastes like Band Aid. disgusting To those who left reviews of the “flavor” God love ya. Ack
Agreed. Can’t stand this one. Cheers Sheilah
Newb looking for options
So this is my first ever bottle of scotch purchased. And yes price was a big factor at 25$. I have tried it both on a few rocks and also neat with a few drops of water. I am very new to scotch but would like to experience what the hype is about. First of all smoke and apparently peat is my thing. I’m a fan of a Smokey Mezcal and I am hoping for a similar scotch profile. So having said all that, I am actually not that offended by this bottle, now that may be because I am a virgin to the world of scotch, or it could just be that the smokiness of this covered any tastes that I might not have liked. I don’t believe I have that complex of a pallet to distinguish all the described flavors. I feel that if I even liked this a little, then based on the reviews, there is a plethora of Smokey peaty alternatives that might give me a real experience. Keeping price in mind, what can you offer as some findable and affordable smoke shows? I’m assuming Islay is going to be the way to go. I live in a smaller town with smaller liquor stores so options might be limited. But I am an hour for a large city. So if this is bad any suggestions on similar profile but good? As I said I didn’t hate it but maybe I’m just bad at scotch tasting? Help me find what I’m missing!
Hey RM, happy to help! If you’re just starting out, and like the peated stuff, I’d recommend just diving into some of the core Islay malts and see if one of their profiles really aligns with your tastes. Laphroaig 10, Ardbeg 10 and Bowmore 12 and Caol Ila 12 and Talisker 10 are good places to start.
If want to go lower in the budget realm look for some of the peated blends like Johnnie Walker Black, Smokehead, Big Peat and Compass Box Glasgow Blend.
Hope that helps!
What in the name of God is that aftertaste?? Bought for New Years b/c Glenfiddich was out. Introducing my son to the joy of a single malt – epic fail. YUK!!! Maybe people need to drink hog waste to prove something?
Ha, oh damn CC. I’m sorry you fell into the McClelland’s trap. I don’t know what that aftertaste is. I could only describe it as a weird funk. It’s something dirty and foul, that’s all I know.
Got a bottle of this for $25. Waste of money. It tastes like a used motor oil. Sorry, but whoever is comparing this to Bowmore or Lagavulin: guys have you tried Bowmore and Lagavulin? I guess not. This was a total garbage. Keeping this bottle for mixed drinks.
Cheers Vlad!
Is Finlaggan now Caol Ila? At one time I believe it was thought to be Lagavulin.
Hi Mahmoud,
It’s now definitely Caol Ila. Early batches were definitely thought to be Lagavulin, but currently it’s all but been confirmed to be Caol Ila.
I just bought a bottle, attracted by the price. I’m a retired public employee in Massachusetts, USA, so I don’t have a lot of extra money. I love single malts and drink some blendeds and a fair amount of lower priced Bourbons and Sour Mash. Among the single malts, I prefer Islay. The McClellans has no life, nothing interesting, at all. I believe you when you say it is dumped casks. Its flavour is nothing good or interesting, I feel cheated. Please tell me if there are any decent tasting relatively inexpensive single malts. I love Laphroig but can’t really afford it.
Ah man, that sucks you got pulled into that. A good cheap peated single malt is Finlaggan if you have a Trader Joe’s near you; it’s Caol Ila. Which is one I’d also recommend if you can find it. For the peaty punch on the blend side I like Johnny Walker Black, Big Peat and Smokehead. They’ll pack a good smoky punch and not kill your wallet. Those tariffs are killing the single malt game with everyone forced to raise them so much. But luckily blended scotch and blended malts aren’t touched so the red label Compass Box Great King Street – Glasgow Blend should be eays to find, reasonably priced and also fit what you’re looking for. Hope that helps Bill!
Agreed
Wish I would have read the review and comments prior to purchasing. My first attempt was on the rocks. I was blaming possibly foul ice for the funkiness. I was wrong. I’ll mix it with stuff and finish the bottle, because I am extraordinarily cheap and think it sinful to waste alcohol, but I may not be happy about it. I will definitely be following your site moving forward to make more informed decisions. Cheers.
Ooph, I’m sorry to hear this happened to you too. Welcome to TWJ, cheers Kevin!
Tried it neat,a few drops of water,over ice,with water and finally ice and ginger ale.was scared what it would do to my plumbing so I just threw the rest of the bottle away. Hope to God is doesn’t somehow get into to ground water.
Hahahaha, thanks for sharing :D Cheers Donald!
I will never buy this brand again. It’s just awful. I will make myself drink the rest of the bottle as a lesson to not buy scotch based sol3on the pric. Tastes like piss I imagine!
Ha, yeah I learned that lesson the same way :) Cheers John!
I just bought this on a whim. Trying different things but currently partial to Irish whiskey. I don’t know much about the aspects (nose, finish etc but learning…) I usually read a few reviews before I spend (this was about $26US) money. I’ve had just a few scotches and while different than Irish whiskey, they were enjoyable. This stuff tastes like Listerine and low octane gas mixed together without the aftertaste. I didn’t even finish the first glass. I dumped it. I’ll see if one of my friends wants the rest of the bottle.
Sounds like a familiar experience. Cheers John, thanks for sharing!
I agree with everyone who feels the price point gives this dram a bit of leeway. My own impression is that what many describe as funk might be also described as cereal. I personally pick up a lot of grainy mash in this whisky that might be due to its youth. It hasn’t spent enough time in a barrel to grow beyond it’s mother’s apron strings..
It’s definitely cheap, I’ll give y’all that ;) But when doing a review I keep price out of it because if I didn’t the scores would be far less consistent and what costs $30 on the West Coast can cost $40 on the East Coast and $25 in the middle of America. So it becomes far too subjective based on that whereas the whisky itself should be fairly consistent. Cheers Peat!
I think the category above sums up my review quite nicely, “Filed Under: Scotch.” On my third nosing, I coaxed a bit of pepper into it, but other than that, mild hi nt of fruit….. Palate:… ummm….. “yup. Whisky.”? Finish: “meh…I guess i will share this with my drunken, nonappreciative friends.”
Overall, taken completely by itself, not a horrible offensive single malt whisky for $25. It’s definitely a “you get what you pay for whisky.”
Yeah that about sums it up :) Cheers Jeff!
i’ve purchased several McClelland’s Islay in USA And actually have been fairly impressed. The fact that its price point is well below most most single malt brands is a bonus. When I first saw it at a reasonable price, I said why not try a bottle. I found it quite had a nose similar to Laphroaig 10. Sure it’s not a $70USD or more kind of special occasion Scotch. But for the price, it’s a nice frequent taste.
well Josh I can’t say that you don’t know your stuff (single malt)but I have to disagree with you to an extent – I bought a 750 of this to see what I thought – and to my taste (which is the point of my drinking – and to base line myself, my favorite is Lagavulin 16 year old followed by Laphroaig 10 and Talisker etc – immediately I thought about Monkey Shoulder (blended malt which is a great bang for your money in my mind)for to my taste one of its main drawbacks was finish and some excitement on the content – I then did a little mixing with Laphroaig and some others and find that I made a decent blended malt for my money – one that I can pour after I’ve been spoiled by a good single malt and yet still appreciate a nice smokey, peaty nicely finished dram
Sounds like a fun experiment. Cheers!
tastes like grain alcohol was added
It’s really not that bad, just a bit watery. I liked their Highland version better. Have not tried the Lowland or Speyside editions yet, but looking forward to giving them a chance.
This stuff is great. One of the best values in whisky out there. Slightly cheaper than Black Grouse and slightly better. Certainly better than JW Red. Black Grouse and this are probably the best scotches for under $30.
Peter, you might have simply got a small batch. Period. A batch is comprised between 50 to 400 casks and greatly evolve and change from year to year. I’m currently drinking a McClelland’s Islay tonight and read your review, the stuff is good, there’s absolutely NO WAY they dumped down barrels they didn’t like, most likely barrels that don’t “fit” the Bowmore profile they are looking after. Speaking of which, even Bowmore is greatly different from year to year, batch to batch. To all whisky drinkers here, whisky is just like wine, it’s different year over year, and that’s because no two casks taste alike. So the whisky you tasted roughly two years and a half ago no longer exist on the market shelve, today it’s a completely different malt. Everything changed. It always does. I think this is the most misunderstood thing about whisky.
So you’re basically saying that all master blenders should be fired because their attempts to make a uniform product year in and year out are entirely in vain. Yes products change, that’s why I re-review things years later, but the entire purpose of a master blender in a distillery is to attempt to make a uniform product so unless there’s huge shifts in distilling methods or cask sources nothing should be off by too much year to year. Batches 1 year to 2 years shouldn’t be massively different unless it’s something that doesn’t have a master blender behind it and they’re just dumping whatever into it… like McClelland’s.
It’s not great….. But the bottle I had does not deserve the “dump it down the drain” label. I agree it has some off, undesirable characteristics. I think its important to keep in mind what it is and the price point. For me this was a low end peaty scotch. I confess after having a dram, I contemplated having another (an unusual feeling for a peat lover). But lets keep the price point and the fact that there consolidating unwanted barrels in mind. In the end i think this is not a overwhelmingly flawed scotch and is very young. If your looking for young scotch that is killer, I suggest Kilchoman. They don’t have the history of ardbeg, bowemore, laphroiag, or lagavulin but everything I have had has been mind blowing. Back to McClelland’s i think you get what you pay for, but personally I think its worth a purchase. I know its blasphemy but this has become my go to for scotch mixed drinks. Ive had a few scotch cocktails at the bars made with laphroiag and recreated with McClellands with success. For me its a waist of laphroiag (I would rather have a dram)….. But I digress. If you think that this bottle is somehow a miracle and offers a cheap substitute to the Islay brands we know and love, you will be disappointed. If you treat it like a bottle that was made from bowemore’s undesirable bbls, you may find a place for it.
Thanks for the review. I live in downeast Maine and thanks to tourists I can find good Islays like ardberg and nicer at places that are open bankers hours. But after work and on weekends I’m usually buying my liquor at the grocery store and this is the only islay they carry. The price (23$/750ml) and desperation tempt me but I knew it sounded too good to be true. Even at that price point it sounds like a waste.
Now if I could only find kilchoman machir bay (my first islay expierence) somewhere near me. I
Cheers Nate, I hope you can find some Machir Bay. That’s awesome stuff and the latest releases tastes like what Ardbeg used it. It’s stunning. Cheers!
Josh, this Edinburgh native is sadly in complete agreement with you – we’ve been tricked by clever marketing (it is NOT what it says it is on the bottle) – I’m going to try and “save” the bottle with a 50/50 mix of Johnnie Walker Red, that’s the old Scottish Cheapskate in me (I get that from my Grandparents) :(
Mine went into a home made blend :) Cheers man!
It’s amazing how harsh your critics are when you actually pay for the whisky Peters. This guy never tasted a whisky he didn’t like when he gets samples from the companies. This stuff costs 17 $ at the local Woodmans-what do you expect for young, off cask whisky? I’ve had worse stuff that Ardbeg passed off at 50 $. For 20$ there charging what it’s worth- a taste of Islay you chase with a beer and save the good stuff for another time.
You obviously don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I’ve panned (C’s and D) stuff brands have sent me. You’re just a fast flying ignorant tourist with a big mouth. But you’re, kinda, right about something “what do you expect for young, off cask whisky?” – I expect it to be crap… and it was. Next time you decide to troll someone you should do a little back log checking because there are plenty of examples of me giving terrible reviews to stuff people sent me. Just look up Kikori and Brenne.
As for your opinion about Ardbeg putting out worse stuff than this garbage… well that’s your opinion. The only Ardbeg I’ve had that’s comparable to this is the Blasda. Everything else they make I’d take over this any day of the week. This stuff is pure swill.
First time visiting and given how you treat folks like this I think it will be my last. Thanks
Cool. Adios, you won’t be missed nor will the ignorant troll above you. I don’t have to tolerate insulting people nor am I the doormat in my own home. Byeeeeeeee.
This is complete swill that I gave to my friend who will drink anything. He dumped this sh1t down the drain. Avoid it like the clap.
Today I finally purchased my first single-malt, on a whim. The price caught my eye and the name sounded authentic to my inexperienced ears. I thank you for these reviews. I was wondering if a single malt was supposed to taste of automotive parts cleaner with a subtle hint of body odor and cheap cigar smoke. When properly applied, it might prove effective in chasing the moles away from my vegetable garden.
Happy to help Karl ;) Cheers!
To me it has notes of wet dog.
Yeah that’s not a bad descriptor. It’s not good whisky… at all.
I bought a bottle of the McClellands in 11/2015 just looking for another working, lower shelf, blending Scotch to consume after my 1st drams of da good kine–(my working everyday cellar now is several cases of Laphroaig 10 and Lappy Cask 10, Ardbeg 10 and Ardbeg Corry). At Unhappy Hour, 1700 h local, I have the lower shelf malt 2nd time around after my 1st cup of da good kine, (unless I miraculously get another bottle of Ardbeg Alligator that needs a little whiff of taming, but Ardbeg tells me Alligator will occur no more!!! Ach, NO!!). I am a student of Jason Debly’s site and will now also be a student of yours. So, not completely by default but by some serious work and trying ( I am a research medical scientist by training), my best lower shelf bottles of blended (having tried MANY) are still Teachers and Islay Mist, but I completely agree with Jason Debley that both blends have been hopelessly DUMBED DOWN to gain market share among the Unwashed Masses and have lost most of the peat and smoke they at one time had. Black Bottle dumbed it down on purpose and then wrote about it, what drool. Eff their luck. I was a huge fan of Islay Mist when I first tried it 3 years ago but a case bought this year proves to be a mere shadow of its former self. So I will be sticking with Teacher’s until I find a better player. Have recently tried White Horse (same problem) and the Grouses (same problem). It seems that the money is into blending Scotch for girls and not manning up to lay on the peat and smoke it could have, should have. E.g., Costco has marketed their own Kirkland Brand single malt scotch and it is a dead on MacCallan ringer-ultra sugary ultra sweet Faygo red pop sherry casked bottle. The last bottle of McCallans someone gave me I poured down the sink. That is what I think of it.
Will continue to follow you. Help us to fight the good fight for peat and smoke and no shilling!!
Re the McClellands, if found it not vile, just lame, like Grouse, White Horse, and everyone else who could do it properly if they wanted quality over market share. BUT, there it is.
Brad Selden MD, single malt Islay Smokehead
Camped in SemiTruck Conversion RV with 3 bird dogs
Grand Marais MI USA
I always love reading other folks thoughts on the stuff I’ve drank. Gives a nice perspective. I have several different releases of White Horse that I plan on opening and doing a side by side to see how things have changed over a couple decades. That’ll be happening in early 2016 and looking forward to it. Haven’t had it in a while, but from what I’ve read – and your comment – I don’t have high hopes for the recent stuff.
Cheers!
This stuff is heavy on fusel oils and it gives me a headache no matter how much I drink. I’ll stick with the quality of Laphroaig.
As you should. This stuff is foul.