Only a small batch of recent Ardbeg

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Only a small batch of recent Ardbeg

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August 22, 2024

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Hello, that is certainly one of our (nearly) each day tastings. Santé!


August 22, 2024

Only a small batch of recent Ardbeg

Ardbeg

Think about that we took this photograph of Ardbeg’s yard

throughout Feis Ile. Busy-busy, was it not. (WF Archive, 2005)

Some official ones and a few impartial ones. Are you accustomed to Ardbeg?

Ardbeg 14 yo ‘Anthology The Unicorn’s Tale’ (46%, OB, refill bourbon and Madeira, 2024)

Ardbeg 14 yo ‘Anthology The Unicorn’s Story’ (46%, OB, refill bourbon and Madeira, 2024)

No, no, no, sufficient of those far-fetched tales! And why is everybody so enamoured with ex-Madeira casks lately? Color: straw. Nostril: reasonably contemporary and fairly easy, with pretty notes of smoked almonds, adopted by putty and tar. It seems that the Madeira has mellowed this Ardbeg into one thing reasonably mild and well mannered. A couple of hints of recent rubber boots as nicely. Mouth: pretty gentle, with a contact of sweetness (white clover) and a little bit of tar liqueur. A slight medicinal edge, then tinned peaches and almond milk. End: of medium size, smooth, mild, and saline. Some periwinkles and white wine. Touches of mercurochrome and ashes within the background. Feedback: the softer facet of Ardbeg peat. A simple, agreeable Ardbeg, excellent for sharing with company who aren’t whisky geeks. Maybe they’ll turn into so after this? I did barely want the 13 yo Harpy’s Story, although. But extra Tales.

SGP:556 – 86 factors.

Ardbeg 19 yo 2005/2024 'Traigh Bhan Batch 6' (46.2%, OB, American oak & oloroso, batch #TB/06-04.04.2005/24.GM)

Ardbeg 19 yo 2005/2024 ‘Traigh Bhan Batch 6’ (46.2%, OB, American oak & oloroso, batch #TB/06-04.04.2005/24.GM)

The brand new batch. I used to be fairly taken with final 12 months’s (WF 89). Color: white wine. Nostril: pure, crystalline Ardbeg peat, with sauvignon blanc, seawater, inexperienced apples and limes, rubber, almonds, pistachios, ashes, and a contact of sunshine tar. Mouth: sweeter and gentler, but once more. There’s a sensation of smoked apples, a touch of oysters, marzipan, and extra ashes. End: medium size, a bit fruity, pretty easy-going. Lemons, ashes, and smoked almonds linger within the aftertaste. Feedback: nothing a lot so as to add; it is very a lot consistent with the 2023 batch, although it feels barely softer, maybe. No must pen a novel every time, I prefer it quite a bit, there.

SGP:556 – 89 factors.

Ardbeg 2011/2024 (58.2%, OB, for Sweden, 1st fill manzanilla, cask #2464, 624 bottles)

Ardbeg and Manzanilla, it’s like Jagger and Richards for me, although a bit rarer. Only a reminder, Manzanilla is a fino sherry aged in Sanlúcar, however that doesn’t essentially imply the grapes come from that a part of the ‘sherry triangle’. Typically, Manzanilla is a bit lighter however barely saltier (only a contact). Color: darkish gold. Nostril: grand class. Inexperienced walnuts, seawater, seaweed, contemporary tar, cement, and lemon peel oil. The mixture appears excellent. With water: a contact of Savoyard fondue and contemporary hay bale, which is reasonably amusing. Mouth (neat): sure, excellent, highly effective, uncomplicated, with bitter orange, seawater, and salted liquorice. Then a little bit of mint and people well-known inexperienced walnuts. Millimetric, as they are saying in… Sweden. With water: that Sauvignon Blanc observe beforehand talked about. A stunning Pouilly-Fumé and inexperienced pepper. End: lengthy, with the identical notes of inexperienced pepper, walnuts, mustard, seawater, and tar… A robust charcoal observe within the aftertaste. Feedback: I discover this younger Ardbeg reasonably distinctive, although it’s barely aggressive. The Swedes are fortunate; they’ve bought a high pole vaulter and now they’ve bought this Ardbeg too. A disgrace for pricey Mackmyra, although; that’s reasonably unhappy.

SGP:567 – 90 factors.

Secret Islay 13 yo 2009/2023 (58.7%, Archives, for China, ‘Birds from the Orient’, refill hogshead, cask #200000125, 300 bottles)

Color: straw. Nostril: totally Ardbeggian, with rubber boots at the very least measurement EU43 (if you’ll) and loads of tar, adopted by camphor, bandages, and used engine oil, then a great deal of inexperienced olives, which we completely adore. With water: that outdated tweed jacket battered by salty maritime winds. You get the thought… Mouth (neat): our mates in China have wonderful style. Very good notes of lime juice, then sweet sugar, smoked fish, olive oil once more, and a contact of ink… Wow. With water: it’s nearly like being transported again to the Seventies. Very good oily and maritime lemon. End: lengthy, exact, assertive (why not?) and filled with olives. Feedback: it’s a disgrace that this magnificent whisky doesn’t boldly carry the Distillery’s title; it may have finished wonders for the model. We’ll be speaking about this one in a couple of years, I’m positive of it. I like it as a lot because the aforementioned Swede.

SGP:567 – 90 factors.

Kildalton 15 yo 2008/2023 (61.5%, The Whisky Jury for Gene’s Dram, China, refill butt, cask #5080, 132 bottles)

Kildalton 15 yo 2008/2023 (61.5%, The Whisky Jury for Fortunate Alternative, China, refill butt, cask #5080, 132 bottles)

Calling an Islay single malt ‘Kildalton’ that isn’t from Ardbeg would absolutely be an act of final perversion, totally condemned by all ethical requirements, wouldn’t you agree? Color: golden. Nostril: reasonably softer, however loaded with salted liquorice and seaweed, iodine tincture, paint and polish, cider apples, and putty. Magnificently smooth and sophisticated on the nostril, with a couple of pink olives and a touch of contemporary fibreglass. With water: there was additionally a slight trace of cologne, which has now disappeared. Uncooked wool, rainwater, lanolin. Ardbeg. Mouth (neat): extra large on the palate, extra sturdy, nearly brutal, however that’s what one seeks from this facet of the island. Then it turns into more and more saline, taut, sharp, lemony, very contemporary, chiselled, with bitter almonds, even very bitter almonds. Very pretty. With water: even saltier. Olive brine, rollmops, stalks and leaves, lapsang souchong, and a sensation of engine grease (although we’ve by no means tasted that, in fact). End: lengthy, oily, putty, paint, olives, plasticine… Feedback: these spirits don’t but have the complexity of age, however heading in the direction of twenty years, I’m completely sure they’ll acquire some extent or two.

SGP:467 – 90 factors.

Fortunate Sweden, fortunate China.

(Thanks mucho, Boris and Gene)

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