Watt Whisky Staoisha 6yo & Watt Whisky Campbeltown Blended Malt 9yo

Watt Whisky Staoisha 6yo

Region: Islay

ABV: 57.1%

Price: £72.00

Distilled in 2019 from peated Bunnahabhain spirit and matured for six years in a sherry hogshead, this was bottled in 2025 with an outturn of 330 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with a punchy coastal smoke, copper coins, a little rubber, cumin seeds, dill pickle brine and toffee notes as the nose starts to open up. The alcohol is well balanced, you can tell it's there but it's not overpowering the other aromas. Going back, we're finding some burnt popcorn, dry roasted peanuts and smoked strawberries. It's sherried, but not overpoweringly so, and we're only getting a small handful of those fruits, it's a drier, nuttier profile.

Palate

The palate opens with a kick of singed paper, strawberry juice, bonfire ashes, pomegranate molasses and peanut brittle. There's a dominant note of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce, with a sprinkling of salt to balance some of those sweeter, smokier flavours. Going back, we're also finding some cherries in chocolate, with a real backbone of peat lingering into the good length finish. The mouthfeel is fine, there's some viscosity there, and overall it's got more of that classic sherry and peat profile than the nose led us to believe.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose is richer in aroma, darker chocolates, deeper wood notes, almost like getting our nose deep into an old sherry butt. There's much more sherry influence now, and actually we prefer it - it's softened the hit of smoke and even though it feels simpler, it also feels better integrated. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate hasn't changed too much, maybe a bit richer smoke, some sultanas, dark chocolate segments and maraschino cherries. There's still some alcohol bite but it's manageable. The texture is still good and again, the palate feels simpler but more integrated. 

Conclusion

Punchy peat, good integration of sherry, a solid Stoisha. The sherry is more prominent on the palate than the nose, more of those red fruits and baking spices, whereas the nose is more spirit-forward. An appealing dram, one for the cold winter nights.

Score: 7/10

Value

A good price for peated Bunna in sherry.

Watt Whisky Campbeltown Blended Malt 9yo 

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 56.8%

Price: £66.50

Distilled in 2016 and finished for 20 months in an ex-Clarendon Jamaican rum barrel, this small-batch Campbeltown blended malt was bottled in 2023. Outturn: 272 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with a light vanilla creaminess, moving into pickling spice, a little under ripe papaya, lemon water, dried mango slices and faint hints of salted caramel. It's a bit tight on the nose initially, but begins to open up with some air. Going back, we're finding some apricot preserve and green apple skin. The alcohol has a bit of a kick on the nose but it's manageable. The rum cask hasn't totally overpowered the spirit, and it's working quite well in our opinion.

Palate

The palate opens with a lot of citrus upfront, zingy lime and lemon juice, a little tart grape, kiwi and a little bit of Jamaican ginger ale. The rum cask is prominent but in a balanced way, more ginger spice and tropicality, not as funky as some other Jamaican rum casks we've tried. The mouthfeel is good, fairly oily, and the finish has a medium length with more of a light brown sugar and molasses flavour lingering. The alcohol has a bit of a bite in a similar way to the nose, however it works with the stronger rum cask flavours.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose comes through with more of the original bourbon cask, more sweet vanillas and fudge, caramelised pineapple and even some torched banana. The spice has greatly reduced now, and actually it's much more pleasant to nose - less rum cask influence but in better balance for us.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate loses a bit of texture, but like the reduced nose, feels more in balance alcohol-wise. There's still a big hit of citrus up front, moving quickly into soft vanilla sponge, pineapple compote, ginger ale, and a bit of toffee. We'd definitely recommend a few drops of water, it helps to bring the dram into better balance.

Conclusion

We're always a bit hesitant with rum cask finishes, especially the funky, esthery Jamaican style, but this is really well done. It works with the Campbeltown spirit rather than overpowering it, mixing those tropical and spicy notes with sweet, coastal notes to produce something quite tasty.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

A good price for a good dram.

• 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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