Independent bottlings with serious age statements have a way of demanding your attention, and this 22-year-old Islay whisky from the Islaga series — released under the My Name Is Whisky label — is no exception. Distilled in 2000 and bottled at a punchy 52% ABV, this is a whisky that has spent over two decades developing character in what the listing suggests is bourbon cask maturation. At £1,096, it sits firmly in collector and connoisseur territory, but for a 22-year-old independently bottled Islay malt at cask strength, the pricing tracks with what the market bears for whiskies of this calibre.
What draws me to a bottle like this is the intersection of time and place. Twenty-two years in oak is a long stay for any spirit, and for an Islay whisky — a style typically defined by its coastal, often peaty intensity — that kind of extended maturation in bourbon wood tends to produce something genuinely fascinating. The peat softens and integrates, the cask lends vanilla and orchard fruit complexity, and the coastal DNA of the distillery weaves through everything. At 52%, you're getting this without heavy-handed dilution — close enough to cask strength that the texture and intensity should be well preserved, but not so aggressive that it overwhelms.
The independent bottling world is where I find some of the most exciting whisky on the market right now. Single cask or small batch selections like this Islaga release give you a snapshot of a specific moment in a distillery's output — a cask filled in 2000, left to do its thing for more than two decades, and selected by a bottler who clearly thought it was worth presenting to the world. That curation matters. You're not getting a blending house's consistency play here; you're getting one bottler's conviction that this particular parcel of liquid was ready.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — with a bottle at this price point, I'd encourage you to approach it with patience. Let it open up in the glass. A few drops of water may unlock layers that the 52% ABV keeps tucked away at first pour. Expect the kind of depth and integration that only comes with serious age: the rough edges long since smoothed, the cask and spirit in genuine conversation rather than competing for your attention. Islay character matured this long in bourbon wood has a track record of delivering beautifully balanced complexity.
The Verdict
This is a whisky for occasions and for people who understand what they're paying for. The 22-year age statement, cask-strength bottling, and independent selection all point to a release made with care and intention. Is it expensive? Absolutely. But within the world of aged Islay independent bottlings, this sits in credible company. I'd rate this 8.5 out of 10 — the pedigree is undeniable, the presentation is serious, and everything about the specs suggests a whisky that rewards slow, thoughtful drinking. The half-point I'm holding back is simply the reality that without broader availability, fewer people will get to experience it, and that always feels like a missed opportunity.
Best Served
Neat, in a Glencairn glass, with a small jug of room-temperature water on the side. At 52% ABV, a few drops of water will help you explore different layers without drowning the cask-strength character. This is absolutely not a mixing whisky — at this age and price, it deserves your full, undivided attention. Pour it after dinner, give it fifteen minutes to breathe, and take your time.
