Sunday 11 December 2011

Ardbegeddon!!




Ardbeg 25 Years Old, 'Lord of the Isles' bottled in 2005, 46%
This is a vatting of bourbon and sherry casks distilled in the excellent 1970s.
Colour: Gold (same like the 'Provenance')
Aroma: Whiffs of cocoa. Then a Cohiba cigar. Some smoke. Not peaty like the Ardbeg 'Ten'. Then herrings rolled with mustard sauce.
Taste: Peat. White fruits like cooked apples and cooked pears. White pepper seeds. Capsicums. Lemon cough drops. A very good and balance Ardbeg with a long finish.
Rating: 92/100

Ardbeg 1977 bottled in 2002, 46%
Colour: Light gold
Aroma: White wine. Smoke from burning wood. Pepper seeds. Wood charcoal. With more time, it gets sweeter.
Taste: White peppers. Less peat than expected. Then it becomes fruity. White peach, lime and passion fruit. Like good sauvignon blancs.
Rating: 91/100

Ardbeg 1974 'Provenance' bottled in 2000, 55%
This one is the same 'Provenance' bottled for Asia, except it says bottled for the USA. Otherwise the dates and ABV are identical.
Colour: Gold (same like the 'LOTI')
Aroma: Some berries. Bubblegum. So there must be some fruits here. Then cocoa, some wood glue. Smoke from burnt wood, not burning. Seasoning salt. Simply amazing.
Taste: Peat. Chocolate. White fruits like cooked apples. Lemon and menthol. Peppery. Believe it or not, there is some 'Brand's chicken essence' which has a salty taste that I liked! A masterpiece.
Rating: 94/100

Ardbeg 1976, Single Cask #2397, 52.4% bottled in 2008
Colour: Gold (deepest amongst the four)
Aroma: Oh... my favourite maple syrup. (How can it be!?! I was not expecting this.)Toffee. Cocoa powder. Dried raisins. Some peat smoke. Chinese plum sauce. Rice grains. Then charred beef. So good.
Taste: Cherry cough drops, followed by peat. Then dark chocolates. No lemon in this Ardbeg. Some black coffee. Herbal drops. Clear tomato soup. So if you've tried 'Uigeadail' and liked it, this will be mind blowing! 1 extra point than the 'Provenance' for the magnificent nose.
Rating: 95/100

No comments:

Post a Comment