Thompson Bros Islay 1991 33yo Cask #2681 & Thompson Bros Ardbeg 16yo (2008) Cask #5089

Thompson Bros Islay 1991 33yo Cask #2681

Region: Islay

ABV: 49.1%

Price: £345.00

Distilled on the 12th December 1991 and fully matured for 33 years in a refill barrel, this single cask Islay malt was bottled in 2025. Selected and bottled by Phil and Simon Thompson to mark 25 years of Thompson family stewardship of Dornoch Castle Hotel. The outturn was 244 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with vanilla fudge, iodine, orange peel, salt water, kelp and seaweed. Going back after a little air and there’s also orange fruit pastels, dried earth, white musk, dried wood, and orange juice. As we sit with it those citrus notes really start to stand out. There’s very little alcohol spice for the ABV.

Palate

There’s an initial burst of floral flavours followed by sugar syrup, mushroom soup, seaweed, and dried earth. A little ash appears on the finish along some with cracked black pepper spice. That finish is medium length with that spice outlasting the other notes. Not a bad mouthfeel given the ABV, but it’s a touch too spicy for our personal tastes.

Nose (with water)

With dilution, there is a little more upfront peat, largely showing as tobacco, replacing the pre-dilution citrus. It now feels a bit more one dimensional, with the floral notes and sweetness somewhat pushed into the background.

Palate (with water)

Water has dialled back some of the spice. The floral tinge is even more pronounced now, and a slight pomegranate bitterness appears on the mid palate. The mouthfeel has taken a slight hit, and the finish remains medium in length. Overall, the flavours are not wildly different with dilution.

Conclusion

We have heard rumours that this is a Laphroaig cask. We are not completely convinced, but we do not have a firm guess either. What we can say is that it feels a little simpler than we expected for the age and falls short of some of the truly great older Islay whiskies we have tried.

Score: 6.5/10

Value

Expensive yes, but it’s also 33 years old and from Islay.

Thompson Bros Ardbeg 16yo (2008) Cask #5089

Region: Islay

ABV: 57.1%

Price: £159.00

Distilled on the 29th October 2008 and matured in a refill sherry butt. It was bottled in 2025 by Thompson Bros for the Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary. The outturn was 200 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with toffee, sea shells, rock salt, buttery croissants, lime juice, and almonds. Going back and there’s also Terrys chocolate orange, and burnt brown sugar. There’s virtually no alcohol spice even at 57.1%. It’s light peat and subtle sherry. We like it, but sherry bomb fans or peat heads might want more.

Palate

Meanwhile on the palate there’s some smoked mackerel, crème brûlée, lemon juice, kipper brine, sugar cubes, and fish sauce. There’s some light pepper spice on the short finish along with some lingering ash. Mouthfeel has a little weight to it, but it’s just a shame the finish stops so abruptly.

Nose (with water)

Water has intensified the peat and brought out some farmyard funk and tobacco smoke. Unfortunately, it has pushed back the sweeter pre-dilution notes of but the sweet elements, cherries and fudge are now the most prominent. In general, as we sit with it, the profile feels more savoury overall... think cornbread.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is still very fishy. The finish is spicier but now sits in medium length territory for us. The mouthfeel has held up, and the palate gains notes of dark chocolate, tobacco, and fudge.

Conclusion

Not one that immediately screams Ardbeg to us, but a solid dram nonetheless. We are a touch torn here: water helps the palate, but does not do the nose as many favours. A good dram, though a few nitpicks drag the score down.

Score: 7/10

Value

You would be hard pushed to find an indie Sherry cask Ardbeg of this age for much less.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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