Islay Floris 2018

Uncommented Fragrances No. 116

Those who love whisky will adore Scottish single malts, and those who cherish single malt whisky will particularly enjoy the whiskies from Islay. Islay (an island in the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland) is considered one of the most significant centers of Scottish whisky production. The whiskies from there are characterized by a particularly strong peat note (a smoky, better said, a curing note achieved by malting barley over peat fires; so-called peated whiskies).
What makes the Kilchoman brand particularly appealing is its manageable size, as it is regarded as one of the smallest Scottish whisky distilleries. A collaboration between Kilchoman and Floris thus draws attention, especially for those who appreciate both English fragrance and Scottish whisky. The total number of produced bottles is just 150, which may remind one of certain limited whiskies and makes the scent even more desirable. I therefore thank the tireless WitweBolte for this particularly commendable sharing!

How does one capture the aroma of a peated whisky in the classically beautiful Floris bottle?

Reproducing the aforementioned peat aroma should not be too difficult, as numerous fragrances with a strong smoky note have recently emerged, with some users recalling smoked ham, for example. However, this one is not quite as strong, certainly not as intense as the scents from Beaufort, but rather delicate, almost less intense than the aroma of a distinctive Islay whisky itself.
Moreover, "Islay" actually reflects some other notes that are typical for whisky, such as woody tones (in whisky, depending on the aging in specific barrels) and a vanilla note, which combines with the sweet base, present here in moderate expression, to create a subtle, by no means gourmand caramel note found in many whiskies and this fragrance.
Perhaps the aforementioned cedar juniper was meant to mimic a classic alcoholic note (gin!), but I cannot say for sure, as I know juniper but not cedar juniper, an evergreen tree that is said to grow mainly in the Canary Islands. A certain green sharpness reminiscent of juniper and gin is certainly present.
Characteristic of whisky would also be dried fruit notes, which are absent here, but in typical Islay whiskies, they play a lesser role due to the dominant peat aromas anyway.

A successful collaboration and a beautiful, wearable, yet original fragrance, for which one can hope that it will be incorporated into Floris's regular program in the medium term. It certainly deserves that.