Distillery Profile

Taste rating:5

Region: Islay

Most powerful peat yet complex. High Regard.

Maximum six bottles per order.

Final chapter in the odyssey of Ardbeg’s recent history under the new owners now achieving ten years, limited release of quite a few but not as many as some would wish.

Like the last chapter ‘Almost there’ this is fully mature and not at all silly. Carbolic but complex initially, a touch of aniseed and the vent from a dry-cleners, now comes the peat which fills the glass. There are many elements, fresh and fishy.

To taste it is soft and peaty, a hot smouldering blacksmith’s fire. A long long finish which eventually returns to that fresh carbolic that began it all.

Ace for Ardbeg fans of course.

If I were putting this on the Flavour Map it would be somewhere about B10 but that denies it’s complexity.
Light / Smoky

Unchillfiltered and at 46% for extra flavour and impact.

This is a great fullsome peaty and seaweedy typically Islay malt with a good level of complexity.

One of our best sellers. Ace.

Look out for the last in the 'Silly' series in Summer 2008 and then the new 10yo release shortly after.

Flavour Map Ref: A10
Light / Smoky

[Blind tasting note from RJ during the SFWC:

Dull peat, some ester and solvent, water lifts the peat to level 11, heavy metal peat lacking subtlety but very impressive! After all we're all head-bangers Score 8/10]

Another ace from Ardbeg. A 'cask' strength offering of 10yo with older sherry-matured ages.

But for a slight whiff of feints in the nose, this is a dram with good, heavy levels of peat throughout the session. There is restrained sherry notes and plenty of salty ginger.

A nose of youthfulness at first then revealing fruit and smoke, water rather kills the nose but awakens the taste.

To taste there is fruit instantly then a snap! of a smokey bite with peat in the finish balancing the fruit at the front of the tongue.

Water makes it remarkably juicy to taste with loads of sweetness.

A very good Ardbeg.

A 'Connoisseurs Choice' bottling from renowned bottlers Gordon & MacPhail.

Pronounced Arry nan baysht.

A soapy nose, some say pine nuts I reckon pine-fresh washing up liquid. Also a slight cloud of smoke with esters, bananas and with time in the glass, peat. Taste (neat) is bitter smoke, definitely an Ardbeg with medicinal phenols and sweet. A smoky swallow and an increasingly forte tasting experience. Briny.

Water gives white pine (boxes), new sawdust, peat and salt. Superb. A cool creamy burp.

Not like the 17yo as proposed, this lacks the low complexity (probably because of a lack of chill-filtering). An ace.

One of my prefered tasting notes fom long ago:

"It's like sticking yer heid in an upright piano and stamping on the boomy notes".

A surprise release (like a burp) of a few for 2006, not many mind. Quick, it's a drinkable price and will sell soon.

[Blind tasting note from RJ during the SFWC:

PEAT! Nutty-peat, sweet-peat, germoliny-peat, grassy-peat, very-peat. What a peaty-bruiser. Big peaty-swallow. Would win 11 peat-marks from a peat-heid.

Score 8.75/10]