Scarabus Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Correction: it is 46% abv.

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

I'll take your word for it, but Total Wine has it listed as 42%.

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

@WhiskeyTrek No need, I trust it is. Someone at TW&M dropped the ball.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

@@MrChristopherMolloy oops, I replied with my Whisky Trek account instead of my Erik Wait Whisky Studies account- lol! I posted the picture already and it’s on my Facebook group.

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies Now I know your secret identity! Lol I'm off FB✌️

[@alexandregiacomini]

I was about to write a comment to tell that here in Uruguai we have this one for sale in 46% abv, then I saw this comment 😂

[@skeletonmakesgood]

This is, IMHO, the best whisky channel on KZbin. Thank you Erik!

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Wow, thanks!

[@budj13]

I've been curious about this and afraid to buy it, so I'm glad you reviewed it. I'll be on the look-out to find this now! This sounds great and I always like to find a good whisky at a great price. I agree that I like layers to the experience of a good whisky and you described that in this one. Wow, an 89 from you is a real winner. Thanks, Erik.

[@nixondutes3550]

I love this video review!! Thank you again Erik for making it an enjoyable learning experience. Cheers!!

[@BourbonNeophyte]

Eric, I picked this up about two weeks ago and did a review of it, fantastic scotch. Definitely worth the price. Cheers

[@williambyington4864]

I am on my third bottle of Scarabus since I found it at Total Wine over a year ago. It is definitely a favorite of mine. Add a few drops of water and it opens up nicely.

[@TheCucmey]

I got a bottle for Christmas. it was surprisingly good. Great rewiev.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

It really is!

[@ItalNico]

I just picked up a bottle after your recommendation and it is a damn good whisky - amazing quality for the price. Looking forward to trying to the cask strength someday.

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

Did you inherit Rally’s jacket ? 🙊.

[@glenwinn8432]

I am tasting the 46% version and it is awesome. The nose and palate are as noted but the higher abv fills in all the missing bits. For those cigar smokers out there, this malt paired with a Don lugo covers all the bases adding leather and tobacco to the palate. Which essentially means try it with any cigar.

[@zachandrews9268]

100% agree!!!!!! For $35 out the door it’s a favorite!!!

[@rurugby]

Solid pour. Really happy to get it on sale for $30.

[@marshall_l_w7215]

I went through a bottle of this not long ago. Good taste and great price.

[@gman5986]

praise the lord Erik but cant find this for sale anywhere

[@ConcaCon]

I've bought this stuff on offer as the batch strength version. Think it was 57% ABV. I was seriously impressed. It's supposed to be a mystery whiskey, but I can't help thinking "Is this a young Lagavulin?"

[@eviltrain24]

Definitely a whisky that I wished I'd bought a backup bottle of. Been recommending this as a bottle of islay that would not embarrass or misconstrue what Islay can mean for newcomers; and a bottle that can scratch a peat-heads itch without pinching the wallet.

[@davidg5308]

Thanks for the review - just picked one up at TW (15% off this month) for $30...may go get another. Cheers!

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

$30 is a steal!

[@UsedBrain4U]

I would love to get my hands on one but there is none in Ontario.

[@michaelhassler7446]

I gave this one and an Ardbeg 10 to my brother for Christmas, he gave me a Kilchoman.

[@TheThornicator]

Nice review as always Erik. Here's to a $30 must-buy Islay! Hahahah!! The end of the video.... Cheers.

[@Soldano999]

I'm a huge fan of peated scotch this is one of my too 3 favourites with Kornog PX cask (130€), port Charlotte 10 (79€) and Bunnahabain Toiteach (66€). This is just 45€.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

It has a high quality/price ratio.

[@howardfoster4393]

Yes a great whiskey Erik. I actually have the 10 year old which is amazing and £39… what a bargain. I think this gives many of the Islay whiskies a good run. You should do Scarabus 10 against Ardberg 10…that would be a good shoot out !….cheers

[@sgoody1]

Great review. Thanks.

[@sgoody1]

If you do compare the Scarabus to the Smokehead, please note that in the UK they can be bought for roughly the same price as each other.

[@steveno7058]

On the thumbnail I thought you were Ralfy!

[@jackthepickledhound]

Thanks for doing these reviews. I bought this last year, thinking that I heard good things and....I liked the label. Definitely a really nice bottle for $30, I thought I found some off notes though. There was some sour or bitter metallic things going on in the midst of the fruitiness. We went right into the Kirkland bottle after and I thought it was more consistently better. Sort of complex but easier to drink and it's 50% ABV.

[@ScotchDownUnder]

Yup Scarabus is a good bottle, I think you got the ABV wrong as it should be 46%. As other I'm guessing it is Caol Ila with some nice cask/s or it had some finishing in Laphroaig type casks. I need to get my hands on the 10year old and the Batch strength 57%. Cheers!

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

You’re right. I pinned a comment stating it’s 46% abv.

[@CPW1991]

The batch strength is my absolute favourite of the range! Just unbelievable value

[@jasoncons2157]

Huh. Used to be 46%. Sad if it changed. Was an incredible buy.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

I pinned a comment stating it’s 46% abv.

[@gavsdrams]

great dram i think it is caol-ila

[@InWeCome]

Just got this one on sale, 1 litre for €40. Was tempted to go for the 10 y/o instead but i looked at the reviews for this NAS version and the 10 y/o seemed to be less good of a deal.

[@jalratke]

Amen brother! LOL!

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

Thanks for the review; this has been on my radar for a while. Initially the lowish ABV was a bit off-putting, but the price is right. I know you recently reviewed their 25 yo, but TW&M sells an Islay Gold Lorcan @46% for $28, and it's another killer value IMO. Please consider a review; there aren't too many on KZbin. Regarding being a Single Malt, is that really a plus? I think not. An independent blender has the flexibility to pick from any cask from any distillery and create something unique and hopefully delicious. Blended Malt, Malt Blend, Vatted Malt, Pure Malt, All Malt, whichever you call it, I think that's an under exploited and underappreciated part of this thing of ours ✌️

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

I pinned a comment stating it’s 46% abv.

[@MrChristopherMolloy]

@@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies really? Total Wine has it on their website at 42%?

[@cesar1909]

Great review, i liked your opinion, and you are dressed like Ralfy, 😊😊😊

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

Thanks! 😃

[@PezrulezHaakon]

Thank you Erik for another good review 🤗 Unfortunately that expression is not available here in Sweden, but how would you compare this to the regular Smokehead? We have 3 diffrent Scarabus here. Batch Strength, Specially Selected and 10yo.

[@michaelgonzalez347]

Tried finding in New York, no success. Looked online and found for $35 but no shipping. Other sites sell for $120_$150. I'll keep an eye out. Thanks

[@jackthepickledhound]

Might be cask strength for over $100. I found this last year in TW River Edge NJ.

[@michaelgonzalez347]

@@jackthepickledhound thanks Jack, I found 1 at TW in Connecticut but they are not shipping to NY

[@jackthepickledhound]

@@michaelgonzalez347 I know, I'm in NY and I don't even consider mail order. But I'm downstate so I can hunt for whisky in all 3 states within an hours drive. The Danbury Costco is terrible BTW

[@donaldwhitlock267]

Very nice whisky for the price. Non chill filtered, no coloring added. When I purchased a bottle about one year ago it was 46% now it appears it's only 42%. What happened? Apparently the word got out that it was a good whiskey for the price and someone thought they could make an extra pound by diluting it. Unfortunate indeed.

[@ErikWaitWhiskyStudies]

I pinned a comment stating it’s 46% abv.