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Ardbeg
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Ardbeg
distillery
is
located in Port Ellen, Islay and was founded
in 1815 and remained operational until 1981 when it was
mothballed. During that period
of operation the whisky was used primarily
for the production of blends. Hiram Walker reopened the
distillery in 1989 and limited production resumed until
1996. Then in 1997 Glenmorangie took it over and full production
resumed in 1998. The current owners are LVMH and the distillery
remains operational and has become an icon within Islay's
distilleries. |
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General whisky characteristics: Lots of peat and smoke, some
salt, apples. The newer examples, distilled since 1998 also have
traces of eucalyptus and citrus. A really delightful peat
monster! |
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Current & Recent Distillery Releases |
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Ardbeg
New Spirit
A rare
chance to sample Ardbeg New Make / New Spirit
Typical cost of
this bottle;
Not available to purchase |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Clear like water
Nose:
Massive!
Green apple, pear, smoke and plimsoles (old school rubber gym
shoes)
Palate:
Again massive, rather like a smoky obstler which is a typically
German fruit schnapps made from mixed fruits but mainly apple
and pear. There's also that hint of plimsole rubber and the
whole experience offers a rich, thick, almost syrupy mouth-feel,
without the sweetness of syrup.
Finish: This is really quite unique in that the majority of
the flavours dissipate quickly, making me think it's short, but
then about 10% of the overall flavour lingers right at the tip
of the palate for a very long time.
Overall
Impression:
This could only be from Ardbeg, it's massive! |
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Ardbeg
10 years
New
presentation, distilled after Glenmorangie takeover, available
from late 2008 onwards
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose:
That
wonderful Islay jetty of sea-air, peat and smoke is still in the
10y, but this newer version also has a little citrus and is
perhaps just slightly lighter than the pre-Glenmorangie variant.
Palate:
Initially creamy mouth-feel with a quick burst of citrus,
eucalyptus and apple before the peat takes over.
With 3 drops of water: The nose is just slightly lighter
with more citrus. On the palate the smoke is brought to the
forefront and the Eucalyptus to the end.
Finish: Medium to long. Smoky, fruity (apple) and Eucalyptus.
Overall
Impression:
I still like Ardbeg, it's Islay personnified for me and this is
still a jolly good whisky. |
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Ardbeg
Uigeadail 54.2% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
Peat and slightly smoked rubber wellies with just a hint of
manure-coated raspberry.
Palate: Rich
earth and peat. I do detect that slight element I called
raspberry in the nose, but on the palate it isn't quite
raspberry. Or maybe it is, almost.
With Water: 5
drops of water in almost 5cl begins to open the nose, the peat
and smoke are coming through much better now. As for the palate,
it's deliciously smooth, but a little more spicy and smoky. Five
more drops opens it further and the peaty smoke really comes
through now. This is getting more fierce with each addition of
water and although it gets spicier (more peppery) with water, it
also gets smoother on the tongue.
Overall
Impression:
This is
not a complex Ardbeg, but it is a
very good one. |
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Ardbeg
Airigh Nam Beist, 1990 Limited Release, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light yellow, 9 carat gold
Nose:
This is
not so much 'in yer face' and takes a couple of minutes to work,
eventually opening to (Boskop) apple, lightly peated smoke and
hints of sweet rubber.
Palate:
Initially a rich creaminess which soon turns to lightly peated
apple pie transcending the palate and fading slowly.
With 3 drops of water: A more penetrative nose and slightly
spicier palate where the peat comes first, followed by a fruity
and smoky finish.
Finish: Long, fruity, smoky.
Overall
Impression:
A slightly more unusual beast which is gentler, softer and much
more reserved, but still an obvious and very enjoyable
Ardbeg.
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Ardbeg
Corryvreckan, 57.1% ABV
Released
in 2009 as the replacement for the 1990 Airigh Nam Beist
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light 9 carat gold
Nose:
Initially the smoke from burnt firewood, but quickly losing the
burnt notes and opening to a more natural, peated smoke, a
little antiseptic old wood and floral leather.
Palate:
Wonderfully rich, smoky peat block wrapped in fresh basil.
With 4 drops of water: The peat and smoke are enhanced on
the palate.
With 4 more drops of water: Smooth, gentle, aromatic peat
Finish: Very long, almost never-ending with water and mostly
on the front of the palate.
Overall
Impression:
A truly excellent whisky which I need to get more of! I love
it.
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light 9 carat gold, typical Ardbeg
Nose:
Initially hints of mango wrapped in Black Forest Ham, but after
some minutes the mango is replaced with juniper. This also has a
depth of smoke which is really incredible.
Palate:
Smooth with lots of (wood) smoke and not so heavy on the peat.
Also exhibiting rich fruit & juniper.
With 5 drops of water: More peat now appears on both the
nose and palate.
With 5 more drops of water: More intense peat and smoke. A
very concentrated Ardbeg.
Another 5 drops of water: Smoother and softer on the palate
with another depth of smoke and peat.
A
further 7 drops of water: Really brings the peat to a
crescendo.
Finish: Very long.
Overall
Impression:
Magnificent with almost unparallelled depths of smoke and peat,
but at 100ppm and the peatiest whisky ever(?) is it really so
much more peaty than other offerings? Can our palates really
discern this level of peat? All I can say is that the water
perfectly illustrates and brings out fantastic depths of peat,
but as for the numbers game ........
Just let
me try this at 25y+ Please!
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Yellow gold (9ct)
Nose:
Light
but very vivid peat, smoke and the most delightful Black Forest
ham.
Palate:
Peat, smoke, black cherries and that wonderful ham, but it needs
water!
With 4 drops of water: More intense overall with peat, smoke
and toasted ham.
With 4 more drops of water: More intense again but
redcurrants have joined the peat, smoke and cherries.
Another 4 drops of water: That Atlantic sea-air begins to
waft into the nose and the palate is still massive peat and
fruit.
A
further 4 drops of water: We now have a beach peat fire
burning right alongside the Atlantic in the nose, whereas the
palate is now almost totally intense but gentle peat.
A
final 4 drops of water: Perfectly smoked ham over a Scottish
peat fire fills the nose whilst the palate is a cocktail of
fruity, smoky peat.
Finish: Extremely long with Balck Forest ham wrapped in
seaweed and lightly cured over a peat fire on an Atlantic beach.
Overall
Impression:
I loved last year's edition of Supernova, but unbelievably this
is even better! The peat, smoked ham and fruit make for a
delightful and unique experience which I could enjoy all day
long, every day. It has more depth than the Atlantic itself!
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Ardbeg
Blasda, 40% ABV
Original distillery bottling (OB), lightly peated at 8ppm
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
A mixture of pear and apple with almost no smoke
or peat.
Palate:
This feels initially watery on the palate with a
mixture of violets, apples, pears and even very slight almond.
The aftertaste builds and disperses the watery feel to highlight
the apple and pear flavours. In fact, these flavours almost grow
on the palate over something like 20 seconds before fading
gently away.
Overall Impression:
Blasda is a very lightly peated Ardbeg and as
such, offers more fruity flavours, albeit slightly bitter ones.
If you want a very different Ardbeg, then try this one.
A
second tasting as I decide to retry this one
Glass:
Spiegelau
Colour:
Extremely light, pale gold
Nose: Pear
and apple again, but slightly more peat than I experienced last
time, but this soon fades to leave almost pure fruit, with faint
raspberries eventually appearing too.
Palate: Yes,
this does go through specific phases with apple and pear
followed by an addition of violet and slight almond / marzipan,
but these do fade to leave just the fruit.
Overall
Impression: I still like this but it is a different, quite
fruity Ardbeg. I do hope they save some to mature α la Kildalton!
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Growing
up with new Masters |
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After
Glenmorangie took over Ardbeg in 1998 they decided to illustrate
the maturation of their new whisky by releasing a 6 year old to
committee members in 2004. This was such a success that they
then released a 6y 'Committee Approved' bottling to the public,
followed by a series of (almost) annual releases until the magic
10 years were reached with the release of 'Rennaissance' in
2008. |
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Ardbeg
Very Young
Glenmorangie's first official edition called 'Committee Approved',
following the rare Committee only bottling, which will allow us
to see the ageing process first-hand in a series of annual-ish
bottlings that will take us through to the new 10y version in 2008
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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Brief
Tasting Note: My
initial impression was one of a rather wild, or raw, whisky. I
say this not as a complaint, but as a description of how fiery
this obviously young Ardbeg is. It exhibits lots of peat on both
nose and palate and certainly announces its presence rather
vociferously. I personally prefer my Ardbegs to gain a little
more maturity from the casks, but this is certainly one to try
if you get the chance. |
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Ardbeg
Still Young; the Second (7y) edition in
the series of;
Very Young, Still Young, Almost There, Renaissance
Typical cost of
this bottle;
now |
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Brief
Tasting Note:
We're now one year on and the whisky has matured to 7y, but the
characteristics are still quite similar to the 6y (Very Young)
edition in that it's peaty, fiery and lacking a little, well,
maturity and complexity. Come back next year. |
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Thanks to yet another take-over
of the company, this time with LVMH buying Glenmorangie,
the expected 8y variant in this series never materialised so we
had to wait an extra year to see how the spirit, sorry whisky,
was maturing.
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Ardbeg
Almost There; the 9y edition in the
series of Very Young, Still Young, Almost There, Renaissance
Glenmorangie's Ardbeg is maturing very nicely
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Glass: Spiegelau
Nose:
Peat,
iodine, salt and a little citrus with hints of eucalyptus.
Palate:
Initially smooth peat with just a hint of Eucalyptus followed by
a little more peat and smoke.
Finish: long and smoky in a citrus / Eucalyptus kind of
way.
Overall
Impression:
To me this is a more subtle Ardbeg than say the Uigeadail or
oogling which are just in your face peat. It has some finesse
amidst its obvious youth and I really like
this whisky. It is far better than the very young and still
young. Having also tasted the new 10y I think I may even prefer
this one!
Gimme more! |
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Ardbeg
Renaissance; the 10y edition in the
series of Very Young, Still Young, Almost There, Renaissance
Glenmorangie's Ardbeg comes of age
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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First impressions: My
initial nosing found some hints of Scottish moor. Not so peaty,
more heather-like. But as it sits here in a glass, warming to
room temperature, it is steadily filling the room with a
wonderful, solid peaty aroma. It seems to be growing in the
glass!
Nose:
I'm still on the nose and it seems to be quite sweet. Peaty,
earthy, slightly floral and just a faint aroma of newly polished
hiking boots
Hiking boots? Surely not: I spent the last few minutes
questioning my own comment about hiking boots. Well, I have
often spoken about the great times I have spent in my beloved
Yorkshire, hiking in The Dales. The school I attended purchased
a country inn and converted it into an outdoor centre for
teachers and pupils with lots of olde worlde brass and country
inn atmosphere. Getting up on a morning and preparing for the
day's hike by treating my boots with dubbin was a real joy.
This Renaissance has just brought that vision back! Freshly
dubbinned leather boots sitting next to an open peat fire. A
wonderful image and aroma. But don't be put off, the leather and
dubbin aroma is extremely faint and may even be my own
imagination playing tricks. But I certainly got that image in my
head from this dram. Maybe it's now time to try it.
Palate: An initial and
surprising burst of smooth cream, followed immediately by gentle
mixture of peat and wood smoke. Again, shortly followed by
liquorice on the tongue. This is indeed smooth and relatively
sweet.
With Water: 5
drops of water in about 1.5cl really expands the nose. It is now
much more aggressive. More spicy and the floral aspects take
over from the peat. But on the palate it's still smooth, almost
more so with water. The initial flavour is now mainly liquorice,
but this is soon replaced as the peat comes back from the throat,
tingling across to the front of the palate and lingers almost
forever.
Overall impression: I
loved the "Almost There", but this is more rounded, a little
more complete and very different. Which do I prefer? I'll let
you know after a H2H. Meanwhile, this is a really good whisky.
Not exactly what I expected as it is more creamy than I ever
expected. There are even some floral and fruity elements which
almost remind me of the Kildalton, in a peaty kind of way. I like this and will be looking
for more. |
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Some now
obsolete editions |
So easy to
find a few years ago, alas no longer. |
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Ardbeg
10 years old,
46% ABV
Distilled before Glenmorangie takeover and bottled & sold under
this livery until late 2008
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
I'm standing on
an Islay jetty with my nose in the peat bogs. It's peat,
earth, smoke and a little more peat with a gentle sea breeze
wafting in.
Palate:
Deliciously peaty
and very solid, perhaps just a little apple in the background?
With 3 drops of water:
Water definitely
sweetens this peat bomb.
Overall impression:
A
very good whisky from an excellent distillery. Shame about the
owners (LVMH) who I like not one jot. but that's just
personal.
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Ardbeg
17 years old,
40% ABV
Sadly
no longer available and hard to find on secondary market.
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
currently |
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Nose: Slightly peated
oranges and peaches with a tiny dash of sulphur.
Palate: An initial oily
sensation quickly turning spicy (tingly and peppery) then fading
back to an oily feel after a burst of citrus.
Finish: Quite long and
oily.
Overall Impression: I
love Ardbeg 10 and earlier this year I had the pleasure of
trying the 30y. This really does lie somewhere in the middle.
The typically pungent peat of the 10y is hardly detectable,
although there is a hint of it in the background. The wonderful
smooth fruit of the 30y is, maybe, just beginning to develop,
but it has much yet to do. As I type this I take another sip and
suddenly feel an almost nutty sensation. Somewhere between
almonds and chestnuts. Very nice. Meanwhile, these bottles are
now collectors' items and sell for around 200. A price I would
not wish to pay if I were to open and drink a bottle. But it is
nice, I like it, but not to the point of 200. |
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Old &
Rare |
Beware; Stressful to your bank accounts! |
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Ardbeg
Guaranteed 30 years old
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now
to |
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Unfortunately, here is another great dram for which I seem to
have misplaced my full tasting notes. What I can tell you is
that I was so pleased with this astonishing whisky that I
immediately awarded it second place in my all-time Top 10 Drams!
Most of
you will be familiar with the 'in your face' massive peatiness
of the 10y bottling and the blatant force of the Uigeadails,
well this was a totally different beastie (oh dear, sorry, did I
say Beastie?) as it is rich, smooth, very round, creamy and
almost peat-less!
The
nose was an open-air market-stall of summer fruits with hints of
Atlantic air, but the palate was deliciously creamy with an
abundance of apricot, peach, cream and just the faintest hint of
smoke in the background.
Many
may say this is not true Ardbeg character. I say it's taking
Ardbeg into another, fully mature direction; That of fruit,
richness and a complexity not found in younger expressions.
Well worthy of second place accolade in my Top 10. |
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Ardbeg
Provenance, 1974-1997, 55.6% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now
to |
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Nose: Pears and peat
with a little rubber.
Palate: Smooth fruit,
mainly peaches and apricots, with just a little peat.
Overall
impression:
I was so
looking forward to tasting this one which has often been
described as the greatest Ardbeg ever and possibly one of the
greatest whiskies of all time. Well, I wasn't disappointed, it
is a truly great dram. Age has mellowed the peat and has
developed a smooth fruity delight with mainly peaches and
apricots. But the greatest Ardbeg ever? I still prefer the "Very
Old, Aged 30 years" over this one, but it is a close call and
this is a true great positioned at No. 4 in my all-time Top
10. |
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Ardbeg
Lord of The Isles, 25y, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light amber, rich
oak.
Nose:
Smoky sea air with plums and peaches warming on a peat bonfire.
Palate: Very fruity
smoke with hints of orange, maybe even mandarin or satsuma,
along with a hint of peach and maybe even raspberry in the
background.
Finish: Long and richly
fruity with plenty of smoke and peat, but right at the end I
detect something quite strong, maybe almost liquorice-like.
Overall Impression: A
very rich and intense Ardbeg and, like many other older
expressions it has gained a lot of fruit, but unlike many others
it has retained an abundance of smoky peat. Solid, intense,
very good. |
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Ardbeg
1990, (For Japan) Bottled in the year 2004, Cask Strength
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour:
Very pale yellow
Nose:
Initially very light and floral in an earthy kind of way. Also
quite fresh, very light (did I say that already?), oily and a
rather pleasant hint of rubber dinghy.
Palate: Fruit (peach &
pear) followed by light peat and rubber with a creamy mouth-feel
and hints of white pepper.
With 4 drops of water: A lighter nose
and lots more Atlantic freshness.
Finish: Long, fruity and
very maritime.
Overall Impression:
Fresh, sophisticated and very 'Atlantic'. Very nice! |
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Committee Releases |
Join the
bunfight to try and get them!
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Ardbeg
Kildalton (1980)
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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Picture the scene: Once again at Munich whisky fair and in
the far corner at the Ardbeg stand. After a few minutes chatting
a bottle appears from under the counter and the kind chap boldly
states "You won't have tried this?". As it happens, I did indeed
have a bottle at home, but unopened so the chance to try this
was not to be missed.
The
Nose was unlike any Ardbeg I had previously tried; Very
floral, perfumed and no hint of smoke or peat!
The
Palate was equally surprising; again showing hardly any
trace of smoke or peat but filled with Scottish heather, herbs
and extremely floral.
My
Overall Impression was one of surprise and awe, how could
any Ardbeg taste like this? A fantastic dram with great depth
and complexity which very nearly made my all-time top 10 drams.
Brilliant! |
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Ardbeg
'Oogling'
59.9% ABV
Young
Uigeadail, Committee bottling
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Rich, dark gold
Nose:
I'm standing right at the end of a Scottish jetty on a windy
Autumnal day with a basket full of heavily smoked kippers
watching the fishing boats unload.
Palate:
Rich and luxuriously creamy. The tingle, or in this case fire
sets the palate immediately alight with everything the nose
promised; smoke, peat, salty sea-air, smoked kippers and even
the jetty itself!
Finish: It
just goes on and on and on and on ..... then repeats again and
again ...... Will it ever end? Hopefully not!
With 3 drops of
water in just under 2cl: The nose has even more aromatic
smoked kippers. The palate is smoother and slightly sweeter,
with more kippers, smoke and jetty.
With 3 more
drops of water: The nose now has the most magnificent
black-forest ham (well smoked of course) and the palate is very
smooth, smoky and slightly sweeter again.
Overall Impression:
Bloody
marvellous! |
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Ardbeg
'Rollercoaster'
57.3% ABV
Ten
years of the Ardbeg Committee celebrated with this 4.5 litre bottle served to members at Munich Whisky
Festival, Feb. 2010
Typical cost of
this (70cl) bottle
"Dram-atics" live review |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light 9 carat gold
Nose:
An
aromatic duet of leather and oak rise above the slightly citrus
(lemon) gentle peat whilst trying to mask a hint of finest Black
Forest (smoked) ham.
Palate:
Very
slightly spirity peat with a big dose of fruit (mainly lemon and
apple) which sits on the palate for ever and ever ....
With 4 drops of water: A slightly more maritime nose but
still peaty. Much more smoke and peat on the palate.
With 4 more drops of water: Lots of aromatic, citrus smoke
and peat.
Overall
Impression:
A wonderful nose which promised more than the palate delivered,
but still a decent (albeit far from great) fruity, smoky Ardbeg. |
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Ardbeg
'Alligator'
51.2% ABV
For
Discussion Committee Release, 4.5 litre version
Typical cost of
this (70cl) bottle
to |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Rich gold
Nose:
It takes
a few seconds before the olfactory senses are engulfed in a
fruity earthiness which soon expands to include a light (very
light) rubberiness.
Palate:
A
warming fruity earthiness once again dominates with the
fruitiness being mainly raspberry and plum in a quite earthy
way.
With 4 drops of water: A little smoke is now released on the
nose, but this sits alongside the fruitiness which remains. The
smoke soon expands as the nose also develops some faintly
antiseptic peatiness. The palate again has that fruitiness which
is rapidly followed by a lightly peppery peatiness.
Finish:
Long, fruity, earthy
Overall
Impression:
Interestingly different, be sure to add a little water but not
too much. |
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Ardbeg
Day,
4.5 litre version, 56.7% ABV
Committee bottling
supplied to "Embassies" for June 2nd 2012 (Ardbeg Day at Feis
Ile)
Typical cost of
this bottle; 4.5 litre version not for resale
Dram-atics "Classics" review |
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Glass:
Glencairn
Nose:
A
wonderful combination of earthy wood smoke, light peat and fruit
with apricot, peach and various summer berries alongside
butterscotch.
Palate:
Just
lots more of those goodies from the nose with massive fruit
alongside a smoky, earthy peatiness.
With 4 drops of water: The fruit recedes as the peat
intensifies.
Finish:
Long-ish
Overall
Impression:
Wonderful and surprisingly fruity. Did I mention wonderful too? |
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I
recently had the opportunity to revisit this whisky:
Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Light golden
yellow
Nose: Peat, fruit and an
Atlantic jetty with lots of alcohol burn
Palate: There's lots of
alcohol and it needs water, but otherwise the over-riding
flavours are of a rather peaty apple pie!
With 4 drops of water: The
nose now offers very maritime peat and although the palate still
exhibits peat, the fruit is more intense and a hint of marzipan
is now present.
With 4 more drops: Much
more intense peat and the fruit is focused on apricot.
With a further 4 drops:
Can this get any more intense? Yes it can, with massive peat,
but the fruit has expanded too and now comprises apple, apricot
and peach. But it is also much sweeter after this last addition
of water.
Finish: Very long and
intense, mainly comprising peat and fruit.
Overall Impression: Yes it
needs water, but this is a very good Ardbeg with lots of peat,
but also a surprising array of fruits. I like it!
My first
encounter with this whisky was back in early 2009:
Nose:
Those
bilge pumps return again in a smoky kind of way. Not peat smoke,
but more like a burning wood smoke.
Palate:
Just too
much alcohol and for me, too hard to really describe and enjoy
like this.
With 5 drops of water (in about 3cl): Now the nose is more gentle and
not so intrusive. It's also now more peaty on the palate with a
great tongue-tingle and a long finish.
With 4 more drops: We now have a 'real' Ardbeg with a peat
explosion in the mouth!
With 3 more drops: Suddenly this 'difficult' dram is
transformed into a fantastic Ardbeg comprising peat bogs and
winter fires.
Overall Impression:
Quite subdued until you add water, then it turns into
something very impressive.
Extra
note:
I was
given this sample by someone who thought much the same about
trying this neat, so he added water and found it to turn into
something unbearably sweet. This was not my experience and after
discussion, he put his own experience down to the effects of him
being diabetic.
After a few days I revisited this dram and before I finished the
last glass, I added more water than I would normally consider.
Probably a little more water than there was Ardbeg in the glass.
This immediately created the sweetness that had been described
to me. It was suddenly almost undrinkably sweet, but then again
I had added far more water than I would otherwise consider, just
as an experiment. |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Yellow gold (9ct)
Nose: Initially quite
subdued as it needs a little time, after which it surprises with
lots of herbs, countryside and just a little farmy.
Palate: Very gentle peat,
lots of fruit and even a little coconut.
With 4 drops of water:
Intense fruit with a little more development from the peat.
With 4 more drops: The
coconut bids farewell and leaves us with lots more peat, but a
little liquorice is introduced to the finish.
With a further 4 drops:
This is now acquiring a more maritime character with fresh
Atlantic sea-air and sweet peat.
A
further 4 drops: Is just a drop too far as this is now too
reduced and weakened.
Finish: Long.
Overall Impression: This
is a very unusual Ardbeg with a gentle and quite herbal
character which only intensifies to peat and sea-air with a
substantial addition of water. Is that a bad thing? Absolutely
not, this is a very good Ardbeg!
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Douglas
Laing,
Old Malt
Cask, 15y, Oct. 1991, one of 358 bottles
Peat
level 50ppm, Douglas Laing Masterclass at Munich whisky festival,
Sat. 10th March, 2007
Typical cost of
this bottle;
(picture
shows typical OMC presentation, not exact bottle being tasted) |
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Nose:
A gentle spring-time sea breeze over Islay; Gentle, soft,
slightly sweet, faint peat and a little sea-air
Palate: Much more power than the subtle nose suggests, with
smoke, peat and iodine.
Finish:
Long, lively and dry.
With 3 drops of water: Much softer and more complex flavour
with the appearance of some heather.
Overall Impression:
Very good Ardbeg with a slightly different direction to the
standard OB 10y. |
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Signatory,
Distilled 22.3.1974,
bottled 6.4. 1998, Casks 662 & 1034, bottle 50 of 362,
51.2% ABV
'dumpy'
bottle presented in velvet covered case with clear front
Typical cost of
this bottle;
to |
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Glass: Classic Malt
Colour: Rich gold
Nose:
A Winter evening in
front of an open fire in my favourite Yorkshire Dales pub.
This whisky has a delightful mixture of both peat and wood smoke
on the nose.
Palate: An initial
tingle of peat and smoke on the tongue soon expands to include a
touch of warming apricot.
With 3 drops of water: The nose is mellower and the
palate is slightly smoother with a strengthening of the peat and
smoke which replaces the earlier fruitiness.
Overall Impression: I
have never been disappointed with any 1974 Ardbeg that I have
tried and this is no exception.
A wonderfully smooth whisky
with much more than just peat and smoke. |
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Murray
McDavid,
Distilled 1991, 46% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Colour: Very pale,
almost like water.
Nose: Not what I
expected. Lots of quayside and Scottish docks, but where is the
peat wallop?
Palate: The peat is
definitely held back by the sea and beach. This is very maritime
and a most unusual, but very pleasant experience. This doesn't
pack that typical Ardbeg peaty punch. It is more subdued. When
drinking this I am standing in a Scottish harbour with fishing
boats all around, bringing home their catches. If someone hadn't
already claimed the name, I would almost call this fishky!
Overall impression: The
flavour is unusual for an Ardbeg, but very distinctive. But the
finish is quite short. If you want to try a rather different
Ardbeg, then this is certainly one to try. |
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G&M,
Connoisseur's Choice,
Distilled 1974, bottled 1995, 40% ABV
The now
rare 'old white map label'
Typical cost of
this bottle; Originally ,
now |
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I am
sorry, I can only offer very brief notes for this one as
when I tasted it, I didn't write full and correct ones.
What I
can say is that when I tasted this one I felt it was the best
Ardbeg I had tried up to that point, but that was before I had
tried the Kildalton, 30y and Provenance which have all been
superior to this.
This
G&M 'CC' 1974 was filled with smooth, gentle fruit which I
recall as being a mix of apple and apricot, but with a
sophisticated peat and smoke presence in the background, not as
prominent as in the younger 10y variant. I have since tried some
other 1974 Ardbegs and I still maintain that I have never been
disappointed by any of them!
If
you get the chance to taste this, please do so and you will not
be disappointed! |
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G&M,
Connoisseur's Choice,
Distilled 1975, 40% ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle;
(70cl, not mini) |
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Nose:
Sweet
peat with the Atlantic sea-air wafting across an Alpine meadow
of perfumed herbs.
Palate:
Smooth
with a mixture of flora competing with gentle peat for
prominence. This really is quite floral, whilst at the same time
emitting gentle bursts of peat onto the palate.
Overall Impression: A
very good Ardbeg, but not quite so good as the 1974. Having said
that, it's still better than most! |
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Spirit of Scotland,
11y, distilled
1990, bottled 2001,
46%
ABV
Typical cost of
this bottle; |
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Nose:
Smoky, but rather weak and characterless for an
Ardbeg.
Palate:
Very smooth but again this is not an extremely
powerful Ardbeg. The peat and smoke are there, but they seem to
creep up on your palate from somewhere in the background.
With 2 drops of water in about 1cl:
A little more smoke in the aftertaste, but
otherwise not much change.
Overall Impression:
This is far from a typical Ardbeg, but if you
would like one with not so much in your face peat, then maybe
this is the one for you. |
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D. Laing, Ardbeg /
Glenrothes "Double Barrel" 10y,
46% ABV
Is it Glenrothes,
is it Ardbeg?
Typical cost of
this bottle;
"Dram-atics" live review
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Glass:
Classic Malt
Colour:
Yellow gold (9ct)
Nose: Gentle
smooth peat and quite maritime with salty, sea-air
Palate: Very
smooth and malty but only very light peat
Finish:
Again very smooth, very long and malty with only traces of peat
Overall
Impression: The nose definitely tends toward Ardbeg whereas
the palate is much more Glenrothes. Is it an Ardbeg? Is it a
Glenrothes? Maybe? Individually, both of these are excellent
whiskies, but together? Not really. This whisky can't decide
what it wants to be and as a result I find it rather confusing
and disjointed.
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