ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.
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Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Madeira casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a warm mix of vanilla, oak, honey, unscented lotion and a heavy peatiness. It’s a mix of medicinal notes as well as a warm campfire smoke. Underneath the smoke there’s a mixed fruitiness which is hard to pick apart. Everything seems to be surrounded by a thin floral heathery layer. There’s also sweet minty freshness on top. This is a very good nose. It feels very much like a modern Ardbeg.
Mouth: It starts out with a quite bitter backdrop and a medicinal, very peaty, center. Everything is surrounded by oak and vanilla. After a while dark chocolate, tobacco and a tiny hint of fruits assemble and balances out the peatiness. There’s way less sweetness in taste compared to on the nose. There’s also a slightly damp note which isn’t all that great. The spicyness is slowly increasing in intensity and gives it a nice presence yet it could have used a slightly higher ABV.
Finish: The transition sees the background notes shine with the dark chocolate bitterness and a now slightly darker fruitiness. The oakiness is soon to follow together with vanilla, medicinal peat and nuttiness. It’s walnuts mainly. The damp note is still present unfortunatly. The oakiness is very tangible and the palate quickly dries out. This is a very good whisky. It’s not the best Ardbeg out there but it does its job competently.
Additional information
This whisky was released on Ardbeg Day 2024. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-port wine casks. This is a limited Fèis Ile release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 50.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sharp and peaty. At first there’s a spiky ethanol layer attacking the nose. It feels slightly acidic while the center part presents a mix between heavy peat notes, sweetness and vanilla cream. The peat is a mix of soot, burning wood and iodine. There is a coastal side to the whole, but it’s pushed out towards the edges. It feels like it’s a bit two-dimensional and lacks a lot of complexity and depth. It’s just a sharp layer with hardly anything behind it. This is a so-and-so nose which is a bit disappointing coming from Ardbeg.
Mouth: It starts out with a peppery overtone and heavy, sooty peat. Underneath there are thin notes of toffee, liquorice, vanilla and some green apples sprinkled within. It’s very mouth forward and it feels quite unbalanced, very young and extremely spirit driven. After a while it becomes slightly dry and astringent. There’s just nothing in the background except for a bitter note, which doesn’t seem to fit in. It’s just quite poorly put together. After a few seconds there’s a miniscule floral note starting to float around on top but it’s too little, too late.
Finish: The peppery spicyness continues over the transition, as well as the peatiness. There are no surprises when the center notes reappear. It’s mainly toffee, vanilla and sweet liquorice. The apple bits are gone and the background fills with a mix of lemon and a metallic note. It’s still dry and astringent and the bitter note is ever so present. The oakiness comes through late and it’s a rather boring fresh sawdust oakiness. This is not a great whisky. It’s shallow and lacks complexity. This is the worst Ardbeg release in a long time.
Additional information
This whisky was made with heavily roasted black malt. There’s no information regarding casks used or aging period. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 49.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich peatiness with honey and burnt oak within. On top there’s a menthol layer which mixes with a mild vanilla note. When it settles there are notes of coastal air, with a hint of saltiness, coming through while the oakiness increases in intensity. The and sweet notes move backwards and create a solid background. This is a great nose. It’s a bit unbalanced overall but still makes an impact. It’s quite straight forward though.
Mouth: It starts out with spicy black pepper on top, a sweet peatiness within and a lemon note in the back. After a few seconds it becomes bitter and a coffee note forms in the back. The menthol note becomes pepparmint and the oakiness slowly coats most of the palate. It feels quite savory in the back at this point, yet there’s a dry soil note as well and it works as a contrast. It feels a bit messy and there’s a lot of flavours, but they are all over the place.
Finish: The peppermint spreads out over the palate as the bitter coffee and oak notes continue to fill up the background. The lemon note has disappeared. The peat is now very dry and it comes through as a burning campfire with emphasis on the burnt oak. The sweetness is gone but the coastal notes pop up down the line. The late finish is peat and oak with the lemon sourness returning in the back. This is a great whisky. It’s a bit chaotic and the flavours are moving around which makes it a bit hard to follow along.
Additional information
This whisky was released in 2014. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels with heavily roasted cask lids. The release was limited. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 47.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. A heavy layer of vanilla and an ashes from a recently burnt out campfire is dominating the first impression. The vanilla has an unscented lotion vibe to it, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s a saltiness and a medicinal note sitting somewhere in the middle. The sherry cask influence is very subtle but there is a small scent of raspberries coming through. This is very pleasant.
Mouth: The arrival is very medicinal with a touch of black pepper and a honey sweetness. After that it takes a while for the peat to create an ashy outer layer and, when it settles, a quite fruity inside. Raspberries are still dominating but there are some darker fruit notes detectable. It’s got an oily texture. Lemon, vanilla and just a hint of the oakiness come through after a few seconds without pushing any of the other flavours aside.
Finish: A burst of black pepper passes by before it returns to the ashy peat that are mixed with a nice vanilla driven oakiness and some chocolate. The lemon note still sits in the back and it’s still medicinal. The finish is complex and there are many flavours following along far down the road. The flavours somehow switch halfway down the road and the darker fruits is now creating a layer surrounding the oak, the peat and a sweet honey note. This is a beast in formal wear. Pure excellence.
Additional information
The Perpetuum was released 2015 as a 200-year celebration bottling. This is the 2020 re-release. It’s a mix of both young and very old whisky, matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 57.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, slightly fruity and very peaty. Cold ashes from a burnt out woodfire is dominating the first impression. There are vanilla and, both fresh and ripe, dark berries lurking in the background. It’s got a coastal character and it’s very medicinal. The oak is coming through around the edges of the glass. The vanilla grows more pronounced over time and the fruity note seems to be leaning towards blueberries. This is a very nice complex nose.
Mouth: It starts with a sweet honey layer on top, but underneath it’s very salty and spicy. After a second or two the full peat impact comes rushing in. The peat is now a bit warmer and rounded, but it stays salty and peaty with a medicinal iodine note. A pine note is now peeking through from the back together with the vanilla. The fruitiness is also found, but it seems to bounce around between the other flavours which makes it hard to pinpoint. It still comes through as berries though.
Finish: A sharp spicyness and black pepper flare up and then the honey, vanilla and pine notes return. The fruitiness is still intertwined with the peat and the medicinal side to it becomes more pronounced. The blueberry note keeps on popping up from time to time, but when the oakiness starts to build up it slowly fades away. The oak brings dark chocolate, black coffee and more of the vanilla. The black pepper stays all the way through the finish. This is a great, complex whisky with a lot of exploring opportunities.
Additional information
The Corryvreckan was originally a committee release but it’s now a part of their core range. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels, european ex-sherry casks and european ex-Burgundy red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colours.
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ABV: 50.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich campfire smoke-like peat sitting on top of a center part which includes honey, vanilla, a hint of sweet liquorice and unscented hand lotion. On top there’s a mild menthol note and underneath lies a small hint of assorted berries and citrus fruits. When it starts to settle the peat merges with the sweetness and the background notes become clearer. There’s a hint of leather and nuts coming through, as well as a more sticky sweetness. There’s a nice complexity to it with a youthful mix together with more mature notes. This is a really great nose which had a lot to offer behind the big peatiness.
Mouth: It starts out with a mild and sweet honey and vanilla note and a very mineral rich peat. On the outside there’s a mild black pepper spicyness and coastal notes as well. The background notes are really gritty with dark overripe raisins, earthy and oily peat notes, a hint of sulfur and a dark chocolate bitterness. Even though there’s a lot of demanding flavours it really comes through as approachable. There are some harsher notes floating around but they seem to be needed to give it the roughness it deserves. The whole seems very logical and balanced.
Finish: The transition is calm and it just seem to carry on delivering the same profile as before. The gritty and complex background notes really take some steps forward which is a really good thing. The middle part of the finish is just amazing with just a perfect mix of peat, fruitiness and sweetness. The dark chocolate stays in the back giving it a nice depth. The oakiness comes through late and it’s not pushing itself through. The mild intensity really suits the journey and gives it a nice send-off. This is a great whisky through and through. It really shows off the house style with a nice added fruity bonus.
Additional information
This committee release was aged in ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very oaky campfire smoke with a big spoonful of vanilla. It’s sweet and honeyed, but it also comes through as quite mineral rich and has a medicinal character which really isn’t normal for the Ardbeg house style. There’s iodine, a hint of stone and liquorice as well. Underneath there’s a mix of apples and brine. In between it’s sligtly floral as well. This is a great nose with a very interesting character. It’s very fun to explore and has some real complexity to it.
Mouth: It starts out with a big honey sweetness and a nice spicyness. Inside the sweetness is a mix of smoked meat, sea salt and malt. The peatiness is still strong and seem to push a bit of the heavy oak away. It’s mineral rich and medicinal in taste as well. There are notes of liquorice and vanilla but the longer into the journey, the oakier it gets. It doesn’t take long before it becomes slightly unpleasant in the mouth.
Finish: The finish starts out with a whiff of coastal notes, malt and an umami note in the back. There’s also fruity and floral notes floating by. It’s at this point very nice but it doesn’t take long before the oakiness once again takes over. The longer the finish goes the oakier it gets and it’s not an especially interesting oakiness. This is a very good whisky with a very interesting nose. It becomes slightly over-oaked as the journey progresses.
Additional information
This whisky was aged in mix of ex-bourbon barrels and Black sea oak casks from russia. This is the retail release. A higher ABV Committee release also exists. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a warm, sweet, and ”wet” peatiness, like smoke from a campfire when water is thrown on it to put it out. There’s honey, vanilla and an unscented lotion note. There are also a touch of seaweed, brine and iodine. There’s a feint hint of green fruits and lemon far away in the back. This is a very nice nose. It’s not especially complex but it’s still interesting.
Mouth: It starts out with very sweet honey and vanilla, which turns into a big burst of savory smoke. The honey note lies up front and it’s carried by a black pepper spicyness, some seasalt and a touch of bitterness. The lotion note is in there bit it’s not as pronounced as on the nose. It’s a quite mineral rich peat and it’s slightly dry.
Finish: The finish starts with menthol, honey, lemon and bittersweet smoke. It’s still savory and the wet burned wood carries through. The peat is very much the main event but the honey note isn’t far behind. The oak is slightly bitter. The finish is a never-ending story with a tar note appearing when the wet oak subsides. This is a great whisky. It’s not the most complex experience but it does its job extremely well.
Additional information
This whisky was launched in the year 2000 and is the entry level in Ardbegs core range. It’s aged in both first fill and refill ex-bourbon oak barrels. The barley has 55 ppm. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very sweet peatiness with a lot of vanilla and a hint of unscented lotion. It’s quite ashy and mineral rich and the peat feels very Ardbeg-esque, as it should. There’s a sweet fruity mix surrounding the center in a thin layer, which sort of feels thicker up front. It’s lemon curd and honey with a fresher undefined bright fruitiness within. As it settles in the glass there’s a toffee note appearing as well as coastal salty vibes. This is a great nose and a nice and sweet take on the otherwise rough housestyle.
Mouth: It starts out with a mineral rich peatiness with and ashy top note and a lemony backdrop. There’s a speck of dust and an iodine medicinal note whitin as well. It’s not as sweet in taste as on the nose and the character overall shifts towards a more standard profile. The lemony backdrop spreads out towards the sides and there’s a very nice mellow spicyness spreading out over the palate. The coastal notes follow along to the taste as well. The oakiness is in there at this point but it still lurks within vanilla and a slight bitter note.
Finish: The transition is slightly uneventful and everything keeps the same level throughout. It almost feels like it could do with a bit more power at this point. The unscented lotion note returns in the late finish and the peat coats the entire mouth which creates a nice three dimensional feel. The lemony notes and the oak is taking front stage in the late, late finish. It’s a nice, slightly dusty oakiness with a hint of hazelnuts. This is a great whisky. The seuternes casks fits really well with the heavy housestyle, but it feels like it brings down the madness a bit too much.
Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-seuternes wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 50.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet peat and red berries. The initial impact is quite medicinal and rowdy. After a few seconds a sweet, rounded baseline emerges with notes of hot burning wood together with unscented lotion and vanilla cream. On top there are iodine and salty coastal notes. The fruitiness starts to come through as an outer layer and slowly takes over. It’s overripe black grapes and plums. There’s also a cooling mint effect up front. This is an interesting nose.
Mouth: At first the vanilla sweetness and the warm peatiness swells up. It’s still hot burning wood and now there’s a hay note coming through. It’s quite mild and the red wine influence has a juicy vibe to it with fresh red and black berries. There are still coastal notes and a small touch of iodine, but those are pushed back into the background. It’s slightly astringent and the oakiness shines through in the background.
Finish: A minty cloud passes by before the juicy berries and the warm peatiness return. The medicinal and coastal notes still reside in the background and the finish mirrors the mouth very well. The whole thing feels slightly subdued. The oak is fashionably late, but when it arrives it’s a very tasty nutty oakiness with hazelnuts a hint of dust on top. The overripe grapes and plums return as a thin note following along through the entire finish. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Additional information
The Blaack is a 2020 limited release exclusive to the Ardbeg committee members. It’s aged in ex-Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich and warm peatiness with a side note of unscented lotion. When it settles it becomes sweeter and a layer of ripe fruits and almonds start to form around the center but there’s also a small fresher green fruitiness in the back. The nuttiness increases with time and the sweetness from the ripe notes mellows the peatiness and creates a nicely balanced, yet very peaty, profile. The peatiness contains notes of smoked ham and a hint of oak as well. This is a great nose overall with a lot to offer. There’s a shift from rowdy to settled which is really nice to follow along with.
Mouth: It starts out with a bit milder than expected. The first thing to arrive is a mix of sweet honey, ripe berries, black coffee and a lemon note in the back. It doesn’t take long before the very mineral rich peatiness comes rushing in together with a peppery spicyness and some burnt toast. There’s a menthol overlay and the coffee note moves to the back. It feels slightly chaotic and lacks balance at this point. It has good flavours, but they’re not working together.
Finish: The transition slowly pulls everything together again and the sweetness, the ripe notes and the peatiness all just line up and merge. The Black pepper spicyness stays on the edges of the palate and let’s everything shine. There’s umami, minerals and warm oaky peat moving everything along. At one point there’s a wet sock note which is sort of odd, but it disappears quickly and the late finish is all about an oaky warm campfire with a hint of nuts and ripe fruit on the side. This is a great whisky. It’s nowhere near perfect and feels a bit unbalanced at times, but it still delivers a solid and interesting experience.
Additional information
This limited travel retail exclusive whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and manzanilla sherry casks from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 51.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is green fruits and peat. At first there’s a green pear and apple fruitiness with a spicy, mineral heavy peatiness. When it settles a layer of minty candy cane gets mixed into the fruitiness. There’s vanilla and, when given time, an unscented lotion note as well. The oakiness is present as an outside layer together with the peat which create a warm burnt woodfire note. The rye is also in there, but it’s not especially ”bready”. This is a great nose which feels lively and there’s a lot of things to discover.
Mouth: It starts out sweet and spicy with a big dose of peppermint spreading out. Underneath the peat still comes through as mineral heavy with an aura of burnt wood. The rye sits a bit back on the palate and gives the whole thing a quite unique character in combination with the peatiness. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back as well as some coastal notes. The fruitiness is now almost completely gone.
Finish: The transition starts with small increase of the spicyness before it turns to a mix of oak, peat and rye bread. The sweetness has subsided and it’s more focused on the bitter side which has a hazelnut vibe to it when combined with the oakiness. The longer the finish last, the more of the rye bread and the oak comes through. The fruitiness peeks through as well. The peatiness moves out to an outer layer and stays a good while down the late finish. It becomes somewhat astingent in the end. This is a great whisky with a very interesting profile.
Additional information
The Arrrrrrrdbeg! is a limited committee release celebrating Mickey Heads retirement. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in ex-rye casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 47,4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and medicinal. At first there are notes of seaweed, minerals and smoke from a hot burning campfire. In the background there’s a sweetness with vanilla and unscented hand lotion attached to it. It’s young and quite rowdy even though there’s a very thin but dampering layer of red berries resting on top of everything else. It still leans very heavy towards the distillate and not on the cask influence. With time in the glass the minerals and a hint of iodine moves forward. This is an unsettled dram, but it’s still a welcoming and interesting nose.
Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and medicinal. It takes a second or two for the sweetness to come through and when it does, it never really becomes more than a background noise. It’s salty and the seaweed is still in there, but it’s not as coastal as the nose suggest. The campfire smoke is now creating an outer layer surrounding everything. After a second or two there is a slight ripe and dark fruitiness floating around in the back together with the vanilla sweetness and a hint of dark chocolate.
Finish: It starts out by presenting all the background flavours without anything up front. It’s a combined layer of vanilla and unscented lotion, ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate and burnt oak. After a few second the main flavours start to build up. It produces the same flavours once again with seaweed, minerals, iodine and seasalt. There is a metallic note coming through in the late finish which gives away the young age. This is not a balanced and well behaved whisky. It’s young and rowdy both in smell and taste, but it still produces a nice experience.
Additional information
Wee Beastie was added to the Ardbeg core range in 2020. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry butts. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.
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Additional information
This limited release was made without any purifier on the still. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 51,7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is oaky and peaty. At first there’s a heavy impact from a hot burning woodfire with a sweet honey and vanilla baseline. Underneath a mineral rich peatiness struggles to keep up and it takes some time in the glass before the whole becomes balanced. There’s iodine and coastal notes floating around as well. With time the vanilla becomes more noticable. There’s black liquorice and a tiny hint of fresh fruits coming through from the back and with time the liquorice note becomes dominant. This is a great, heavily peated nose with a nice balance between the peat and oak.
Mouth: At first it’s spicy and mineral rich with top notes of fresh oak and honey. The iodine is very pronounced and it takes a few seconds before it’s pushed back by the sweetness, charred oak and peat. The whole is vanilla and liquorice heavy. In the center there’s a nice maltiness peeking through as well. The charred oak becomes quite sooty over time. There’s also a fresh fruitiness, leaning towards grilled pineapple, in the background.
Finish: It starts out with a joint surge of wood spices and ABV spicyness. The burning woodfire is covering most of the palate at this point and the iodine and coastal notes have taken a few steps back. The liquorice is now also residing in the back. After a few seconds there’s a smoky woodfire exterior and a fresh oak center with a tropical fruitiness within. The late finish becomes a bit too oaky. This is a great whisky which does a nice job of balancing extreme flavours against each other. Time in the glass before drinking is recommended.
Additional information
This was released for Ardbeg Day 2021. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in heavily charred ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 54.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet och peaty. Sweet savory smokiness from a recently put out campfire mixed with green fruits, vanilla, honey, plums, raisins and a quite tangy overtone. There’s a note that reminds me of being on an early morning sea shore walk.
Mouth: Sweet and quite spicy, turns to brine, ashy smoke flavours, vanilla and ripe red fruits. The sherry casks are dominant and gives plums, raisins and a hint of liquorice.
Finish: The smokiness takes a turn to the ashy side after swallowing. It’s a mouth watering finish with a sweet yet slightly bitter oakiness as the main flavour. Walnuts and dark chocolate can be detected after a few seconds. The finish is long and very satisfying. Very well balanced.
Additional information
Uigeadail is the lake from where Ardbeg takes the water to produce whisky. This expression is a vat between whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 58.6 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral heavy peatiness with notes of a burning campfire. Underneath lies vanilla, raisins and oak and the whole feels quite hard and unapologetic. When it settles in the glass an unscented lotion note pops up in the center and it really has the Ardbeg character coming through. Honey and black liquorice arrive as well. The peat slowly shifts towards coastal notes with a mix of tar and seaweed. This is a great nose with all the boxes ticked for the peat lover.
Mouth: It starts out with a heavy mix of ashy peat and ABV spicyness. Immidiately a bitterness starts to build up in the back with dark chocolate, raisins and espresso. It’s still rich with minerals and it’s not as sweet as on the nose, but vanilla, liquorice and a bit of honey are still there. The cask influence is more pronounced now with a very mature character overall. The tar and seaweed return after a while together with dry garden soil.
Finish: The transition starts with a surge of raisins, dark chocolate and espresso in the back before the High ABV spicyness and the mineral heavy peat once again come rushing in. After a while it becomes very spicy and it has a lot of power to back up all the flavours. When it starts to fade the unscented lotion note and vanilla return and the finish is extremely long with all the flavours intact. The oakiness sneaks up through the peatiness and it’s almost a surspise when it takes over. It’s not the most characterful oak, but it sits nicely together with the lingering peat notes. This is a great whisky. It’s most certainly not an easy access experience but for the whisky explorer it gives a very nice time indeed.
Additional information
This whisky was first aged for at least 15 years in a second fill ex-Oloroso sherry butt. The bottle tried is 526/590. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 55.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s an ashy peatiness on top with a sweetness underneath. There are coastal notes from the get-go, but the main peatiness has a mix of campfire smoke, ashes and dry soil. The sweetness consists of vanilla, honey, oak and an unscented lotion note. The ABV spicyness floats on top and creates a peppermint layer. When it settles there’s a squeeze of lemon peeking through which fits nicely as a contrast to the thick and heavy notes already there. This is a great nose. It’s not especially complex but the whole is very flavour- and powerful.
Mouth: It starts out with honey in the center with a bitterness underneath. There’s an immidiate spicy kick with a lot of peppermint top. It’s got a mineral rich peatiness and a burnt wood note within. It feels extremely powerful and the flavours are really pronounced. The coastal notes are gone and the lemon notes are buried deep within. There are notes of vanilla and anise coming through after a while and it really feels like an Ardbeg at this point.
Finish: The peppermint peaks through the transition and underneath the vanilla, honey and unscented lotion returns. The peatiness sort of fills the rest of the palate with a wide arrange of unruly flavours like tar, ocean spray, campfire smoke, minerals and ashes. The bitterness and the lemon note merge into a peel note in the background while the other flavours slowly start to fade. In the late finish the campfire note once again shifts towards burnt oak and it stays that way for a long time. This is an amazing whisky. It’s not the most complex thing in the world but it delivers flavours as subtle as a smack to the face, and it’s just a treat to recieve the punch.
Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2008. It was the last release in the ”Young Ardbeg Series”. 21000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 49.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and green fruits. At first there’s a powerful and mineral rich peatiness with notes of campfire smoke, ash and iodine. Underneath lies a sweet layer of oak, vanilla and unscented lotion mixed with a salty maritime note. When it settles in the glass it becomes a bit fruitier with green apples, lemons and gooseberries. It’s cereal rich and feels very well put together. There’s a minty fresh layer floating around on top and small notes of nuts and green banana seems to come through in the center. This is a fantastic and interesting nose with a lot to discover underneath the peat punch.
Mouth: It starts out with a savory note in the back and the mineral rich peatiness up front together with coastal notes. The ashy campfire smoke comes though out on the edges together with a quite spicy black pepper. The fruitiness sits in the center surrounded by the vanilla, some honey and the unscented lotion note. It’s not as fruity as on the nose and it’s a lot more zesty with a bitter tang in the back of the palate. The gooseberries are still in there. The whole comes through as rich and slightly dry.
Finish: The finish starts out with a surge in the mineral rich peat and the ABV spicyness. When it settles the campfire and ashy notes return. They stay towards the edges and gives room for the fruity and zesty notes in the center. It becomes more ashy and fruity as the finish progresses. The vanilla is still in there but it just acts as a nice filler between other sensations. It’s dry and slightly astringent throughout and when it starts to fade there’s just a beautiful mix of laid back nutty oak, gooseberries and ashy peat. This is a fantastic whisky and one of the better committee releases as of late.
Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2007 and aged in ex-bourbon barrels. 8000 bottles were filled in 2021 and released in 2022. The fermentation period was prolonged for this release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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William’s Whisky Database 