Samaroli Islay 2025 Release is a single malt from Caol Ila — distilled 2018, matured in a first-fill Madeira hogshead, bottled 2025 at 45% ABV. Outturn of 414 bottles. Soft Islay peat meeting the winey sweetness of a Madeira cask: smoke and tropical fruit in dialogue, one of the most distinctive cask partnerships in Samaroli's 2025 programme. MATURATION: a single first-fill Madeira hogshead delivers tropical fruit, candied citrus and a winey richness that both contrasts and complements the soft, medicinal peat of this Islay distillate. Non-chill-filtered, natural colour, bottled in Scotland — classic Samaroli discipline: nothing added, nothing masked. HOW TO ENJOY ISLAY 2025: serve neat in a Glencairn at room temperature; the Madeira-smoke synthesis rewards slow nosing before the first sip. A small splash of water — five to eight drops — amplifies the tropical fruit dimension and softens the peat edge. Strong food-pairing potential: smoked duck, dark-glazed pork ribs or aged hard cheese all play against the sweet-smoke axis with conviction.
Tasting notes
Deep coppery amber with ruby reflections drawn from the first-fill Madeira cask.
Sweet peat smoke, candied orange peel, grilled pineapple, toasted almond, smoky toffee, warm spices, dried apricot and spiced raisin — underscored by a touch of maritime salinity.
Rich and elegant: smoked sea salt, burnt liquorice root, walnut cake, spiced dried fruit, velvety peat and a bright winey lift that balances the whole.
Long and evolving: smoked fruit, dark chocolate, burnt toffee and citrus zest lingering beautifully.
Founded in 1968 by Silvano Samaroli, the Italian house — originally based in Rome, today in Frascati — is one of the historic names of independent whisky bottling. Silvano Samaroli was among the first to select and bottle casks of the great Scottish distilleries outside the United Kingdom, with particular attention paid to balance, texture and the purity of the distillate. His whisky 'publishing house' has produced some of the most sought-after bottles among collectors — including the legendary Bowmore and Laphroaig of the 1960s and 1970s. After Silvano's passing in 2017, the house was taken on by a team that continues his standards, releasing carefully selected Islay, Speyside and Highland bottlings each year.
