50,8°
Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay
1st Fill and Refill Bourbon Barrels, Refill Oloroso Sherry Butts
Original Bottling
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2021
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Peated around 54 ppm
This one was released in 2021, and at the time I managed to buy it, but the bottle sat in a corner waiting. It took me almost five years to open it. Now that I've finally done so, I'm a little late to the discussion. But better late than never, and how can you resist an aged Ardbeg? It's so rare.
Let's Taste It :
Iodine freshness, pale smoke, white fruits, mirabelle plums, Comice pears, quartz, limestone, all sprinkled with icing sugar. Beautiful fullness after a moment. Creosote, gravel, gypsum, and a dash of vanilla. Some vegetables, fennel, celery. On the palate, it is quite fruity, slightly creamy, banana and candied grape, vanilla ice cream, lychees, the peat is discreet. Pepper and cumin, not too strong. Beautiful finish, long and powerful, blocks of charcoal, blond tobacco, vanilla icing, cloves, nutmeg, mocha. Chocolate cookie.
In Short,
The Bourbon barrels bring out the coastal and mineral notes, highlighting white fruits, but there are also subtle vegetal notes. The smoke is accompanied by a beautiful complexity that borders on indulgence. This is a lovely bottling, similar to Ten, with a slightly more powerful finish and more fruit. Five years after its release, it is still available, sometimes at a very reasonable price. Any Ardbeg enthusiast should give it a try.
Score : 88
To Be Listened While Sipping :
VUUR - My Champion - Berlin
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