Four Ardbeg through the ages

September 17, 2014

	Four Ardbeg through the ages
	We may take it a bit easier for a little while, that is to say not post new sessions each and every day. Not that I feel I need some kind of recovery (even if after a tremendous Lagavulin-and-jazz-and-friendship-fuelled weekend on Islay, I may be suffering from a serious case of Islay blues), I simply feel the need to take it, well, yeah, a little easier after our 10,000th whisky review.

Some kind of whisky holidays, if you like.

But meanwhile, back at the ranch… let’s do some Ardbeg! I’ve got the new Supernova to taste (ex-bottle, not ex-blogger mini) and this is the problem with NAS whiskies, you just don’t know where to sneak them in a b****y vertical line-up! So since earlier batches have been issued in 2009 and 2010, let’s assume it’s rather older than 11, while we’ve got a 11 years old to taste indeed. Well, I believe that one may make for some kind of solid foundation, or benchmark, or reference…

Ardbeg 11 yo 1975 (86 US Proof, Duthie for Corti Brothers, Sacramento, +/-1986)

That is right, young old Ardbeg, probably ex-refill. I couldn’t tell you whether the purifier was on or off when this baby was distilled, or simply out of order (I know, pure anorak stuff), but it’s always great to be able to taste legendary distillates at a young age, that is to say when the spirit’s still got a lot to tell. Let’s see… Colour: pale white wine (hurray!) Nose: pah pah pah pah pah! It’s a very pure and very crystalline Ardbeg on the nose, certainly not a fatty one and certainly not a peat monster either. Lemon and oysters, I’d say. Well, at least for a few minutes, because it’s gaining momentum over time, with more marzipan and, above all, more and more diesel oil, broken branches and ashes. All in all, it’s the purity that’s impressive here. Oysters anyone? Fishing ground. Mouth: how lovely! Once again, it starts delicately, but rather on some kind of smoky fudge this time, although lemon and oysters are well there in the background. And then, there, high-impact peat smoke, pepper, ashes, even a little chilli, liquorice wood, salt - and even touches of mustard, somehow ala Brora 1972 if you see what I mean. And bitter almonds. The texture is pretty oily, if not absolutely fatty. Finish: quite long, a bit acrid, and certainly very ashy and smoky. Love the chilli-and-lemon-and-fudge (and smoked salmon) signature. Even more smoked fish in the end of the aftertaste. Comments: it hasn’t got that very peculiar herbal and tarry fruitiness that these Arbegs tended to develop after more years in wood, and I wouldn’t say it’s extremely complex spirit, but then again, only 11 years. What a distillate! I think it was better than the official 10 that used to be available around the late 1980s. SGP:358 - 92 points.

Speaking of officials…

Ardbeg ‘Supernova SN2014’ (55%, OB, Committee Release, 2014)

The very heavy – and very second degree, I’m sure ;-) - spacey marketing tends to put off quite a few whisky lovers these days, and we’re even starting to see more and more mockery here and there, but that can’t change the whisky itself, can it? Anyway, I had liked the first Supernova a lot back in 2009 (WF 89), and the 2010 version even more so (WF 90.) This new 2014 has more sherry in it, according to the distillers. It might also be older, but I’m not too sure. Not sure at all… Colour: white wine (hurray!) Nose: sweet Vishnu, we’re close to the 1975! So much for ‘old’ vs. ‘new’ Ardbeg, I have to say this baby’s well within the same lineage, with a similar peatiness, similar lemons and similar oysters. And ashes, peat smoke and all the rest. Granted, it’s rather less complex, a bit fatter and a notch less crystalline, but that may come from the higher strength, let’s see… With water: they diverge now. This is more brutal and certainly more medicinal. A lot of antiseptic, then pinesap and this mega peat that smells just like… The distillery. I just couldn’t be against that. Love this nose. Mouth (neat): it’s sweeter than the 1975, for sure, with more limoncello for example, but once again, the peatiness and the ashes are similar. Having said that the sharpy spiciness that was in the 1975 is almost absent here, there’s this limoncello instead. With water: this feeling of swallowing a Cuban ashtray at 4 in the morning. An ashtray into which someone would have also poured the remainder of a glass of mojito! Finish: very long and while the ashes and peat remain huge, it tends to become a tad sweeter. Is that the sherry? Comments: love this big Ardbeg. Less complex than the 1975 for sure (that wasn’t hugely complex either), but it’s got ashy style and peaty substance (wot?) Certainly not just a gimmick. SGP:459 - 90 points.

Sherry, he said…

Ardbeg 1998/2014 (58.2%, Malts of Scotland, Amazing Casks, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 14027, 222 bottles)

Cool, this baby came with George Clooney and Brad Pitt on the label ;-). Colour: light amber. Nose: different for sure. More dry, chestnuty, chocolaty, meaty, with some ham, some dry tobacco, some heavy liquorice, some tar (I remember some ex-oloroso Port Ellens by DL), some brine, gherkins, beefstock, then kiwis… A touch of manure as well, horse sweat… And yet, all that remains rather elegant, no mean feat! With water: yup, it’s fresher, kind of cleaner, with spearmint, new leather, tealeaves… and maybe rather chicken stock this time. And bacon. You can tell your mum (or the police) it’s soup you’re having… Mouth (neat): a metallic touch in the arrival, as well as bags and bags of dried figs and caramel. Very thick, but not cloying, balance is preserved. Orange marmalade, thick quince jelly (luv’ that), and then a growing feeling of pipe tobacco juice. Raspberry ganache. Not as meaty as on the nose, by far, and rather sweeter and even fruitier. Mind you, they seem to have tamed a 1998 Ardbeg! With water: no, wait, the spirit strikes back. The sherry becomes drier again, liquoricy and leathery, while Ardbeg is taking the lead – and it’s more Led Zep than Vivaldi. Finish: very long, much spicier. Ginger and sweet mustard plus some kind of smoked caramel. Saltier aftertaste – which was expected. Comments: at first I had felt that the sherry could hinder the spirit from singing, but that was not the case, after all. Great. SGP:558 - 92 points.

You say more sherry? Here we go…

Ardbeg 20 yo 1993/2014 (57.1%, A.D. Rattray for Jurgen's Whiskyhuis, sherry hogshead, cask #1732, 142 bottles)

This one’s older, twenty’s already a ripe old age these days. Colour: palish gold. Nose: first, there’s much less sherry than in the MoS, and second, this is much more brutal at first nosing, with more acrid leaf smoke, concentrated white wine - or sauce, such as verjuice/verjus sauce. The great, great news is that it tends to become mezcaly – or agavy - which is something that I adore. Could also be young Jamaican rum! Also almonds and plasticine, but no rubber. A different take altogether. With water: you may start to look for the phone number of the nearest anti-maltoporn brigade… Fab nose! It’s smoky mezcal and heavy-style young rum galore. Mouth (neat): terrific attack, both rounded and sharp. I know, that doesn’t make much sense but the agave-syrup-coated mouth feel blends well with the sharpish lemony peat, if you see what I mean. And there’s a fair share of salt and brine. Maybe a tiny anchovie? And a drop of antiseptic? With water: you may call the anti-maltoporn brigade now. Ashes, herbal liqueurs, salt, almonds, kippers, samphires, wax, ink, mezcal again… Finish: endless, sharp, chiselled, ashy and smoky. Charmingly unsexy. Comments: it was a close tie between the 1998 and this one, and I wouldn't say one is ‘more better’ than the other, it’s just that I love great mezcal. I know, I know… SGP:468 - 93 points.

No whisky under 90, that was some session! All in all, I’m feeling that Ardbeg will always remain Ardbeg, as long as they stay clear from any unlikely ‘wine technologies’ that would bore even a very novice hence very enthusiastic Franco-Japanese sommelier.

Check the index of all Ardbeg I've tasted so far