Glenfairn Islay Whisky Review

As ever, you can rest assured that this Glenfairn Islay whisky review is entirely impartial because nobody ever thinks to send me any bottles. I purchased this bottle from Tesco with my own hard-earned cash, so as far as I’m concerned I now own the right to give it a slating if I want to.

 

Glenfairn Islay Whisky Review

Most supermarkets sell their own-branded whiskies alongside their more familiar counterparts. Occasionally though, they can be a little sneaky about it.

Us Scotch drinkers can be a pretentious lot: some won’t touch anything that’s been chill filtered, others won’t touch a blended whisky, and many won’t even consider a supermarket’s own effort.

Which of course is downright silly. The whiskies that supermarkets offer are often sourced from distilleries that we’d all gladly pay double to for a similar product. With this in mind, it’s little wonder that some stores go down the slightly misleading route of stamping a vaguely Scottish name on a bottle in an attempt to evoke some sort of faux providence.

Glenfairn then, is Tesco‘s own bottling of an unnamed distillery’s peated single malt. The internet offers no clue as to who might have made it, but there’s really no bad distillery amongst the handful or so on the small island of Islay.

How Much is Glenfairn Islay Whisky?

£17.50. No more and no less.

As it’s already at the absolute floor of single malt pricing, you shouldn’t hold your breath for any discounts at this price. Frankly it’s already low enough and Tesco know it. Of course, there’s nothing stopping them plumping up the price slightly in the future.

 

On the Nose

A great big punch of toffee.

I mean, there’s obviously a whiff of peat in there too. Mainly though, it’s a strong hard toffee scent.

 

What’s Glenfairn Islay Like on the Palate?

Sharp. As in a bright, young alcohol ‘sharp’.

This isn’t necessarily a deal breaker though. That £17.50 price sticker has to be taken into consideration here, and with that in mind it’s fair to say that it’s also more flavourful than some more expensive bottles.

While not exactly complex, there’s the strong peat and medicinal flavours you might have come to expect from an Islay single malt. The toffee carries through from the nose too in a big way. It’s practically peated toffee, but the rough alcohol edges definitely require a few drops of water in order to enjoy it.

I would say that the Islay Glenfairn’s youthful roughness is a trade off for all that rich peatiness; more years spent in the barrel smoothes out any spikiness, while simultaneously dampening the peat influence. The problem is however, that there’s already a very similar Scotch on the market that doesn’t suffer from the same abrasiveness. Read on to find out which.

 

Is Glenfairn Islay Whisky Suitable for Mixing?

I wouldn’t fancy it, no.

If you like a big dose of peat in your cola or cocktail though, then a mixer will certainly round off those rough edges.

Glenfairn Islay Whisky Review – Verdict

I picked up Glenfairn Islay as I was burning through Ardbeg and Talisker at a rate that my wallet couldn’t keep up with. It’s fair to say that in comparison to those two, paying half price got me half the experience.

It’s not that Glenfairn’s bad, but it certainly does taste like a cheap compromise rather than a legitimate alternative.

Glenfairn Islay whisky is drinkable (with a dash of water at least), and has some strong, albeit simple flavours to pick up on and enjoy. The main problem Glenfairn has, is a competitor named Ben Bracken.

Ben Bracken Islay is Lidl’s equivalent that not only beats Glenfairn on price, but also removes Glenfairn’s rough edges and adds a tiny bit more complexity. Once that’s taken into account, the only conceivable reasons you’d opt for Glenfairn over Ben Bracken are that you either already find yourself in a Tesco store or live miles away from a Lidl. 5/10

You’ll Probably Enjoy Glenfairn Islay Whisky if You Already Like…

Laphroaig 10, Lidl’s Ben Bracken.

Well, I say ‘enjoy’. What I mean is that it’s more likely that you’ll be able to forgive its flaws if you’re just desperate for a cheap, medicinal peat fix.

 

I’ll keep banging that Ben Bracken drum for as long as anyone’s around to hear it. Here’s a review of Lidl’s budget marvel.

If you’re after a slightly more refined dram that still offers plenty of funky TCP notes, then classic Laphroaig’s always a good bet.

After a budget tipple without the peat? Tullamore Dew might be up your street.