April 27, 2015

Three Ardbeg, unless that's two

Last time I’ve formally tasted Ardbeg Ten, that was in 2011 and it was a 2010 bottling. Liked it a lot (WF 87). Time to try a newer bottling of that emblematic malt whisky, but first the usual lighter aperitif of the same age…

Ardbeg 1990/2002 (40%, Gordon & MacPhail, Meregalli, Italy)

This baby from the times when the little distillery was working intermittently. Colour: deep gold. Nose: plenty of sulphur and rubber at first sniffs, which wasn’t unusual. Brand new wellies, Pirellis, scuba diving suits… And all that. What’s quite spectacular is that after just one minute, all that vanished without warning, while the expected smoked oranges take the stage. Smoky raisins, ale, tobacco… But there’s also some plasticine, so the rubbery side hasn’t completely vanished, after all. And struck matches are coming back. Mixed feelings so far… Mouth: well, things improve a bit but it’s still a hard one, with a lot of putty, tar, plasticine, burnt papers… There’s also a lot of salt, and that’s the good side. Smoked salted water, barbecued bacon. Finish: rather long, a bit bitter, with a sulphurous aftertaste. Seawater. Comments: spectacular, but rather ‘too much’ for my taste. All this burnt rubber is, yeah, a bit too much. SGP:277 - 76 points.

Ardbeg 10 yo 'Ten' (46%, OB, +/- 2015)

Colour: white wine. Nose: starts with rather more ginger and green pepper than I remembered, as if the proportion of ‘active oak’ had been raised, but I really enjoy this very dry profile. Plenty of seawater, oysters, wet dogs (we’re sorry, dogs), carbon paper, freshly ground pepper, garden bonfire, wet limestone… There’s even a very particular smell that only old guys and girls can understand, ‘opening a new audiocassette’. And the smell of a brand new Walkman to boot. Lastly, some raw malted barley, so I would call this style ‘kilny’. Mouth: just excellent. More and more whisky lovers are claiming that the Ten beats all special editions, and I think they might right. And since the Ten pays the bills, nobody should complain. Anyway, brine, almond oil, bitter apples, seashells, diesel oil, hessian, liquorice wood, juniper, caraway… Everything is to like. Good body, perfect mouth feel. Finish: long, salty, sharp, very smoky. Comments: that the new Ten killed the 1990 would be an understatement. In truth, the Ten may have improved. Great work, Ardbeg. SGP:358 - 89 points.

Perhaps a last one… I’ve heard this could be Ardbeg…

Islay Malt 20 yo 1990/2011 (53.4%, Whiskybroker, first fill sherry, cask #34, 86 bottles)

Colour: dark amber. Nose: most probably not Ardbeg. Very little smoke, very little brininess, but indeed a coastal character. There is a little ‘mineral rubber’ but that may rather come from the sherry, not from the distillate. Other than that, some excellent bitter chocolate dominates the whole, together with two or three prunes and a handful of Corinthian raisins. Drops of walnut wine. With water: the kind of changes that sometimes happen with sherry, with pot-pourri, old roses, balsamico, tobacco and menthol. Mango vinegar – or something like that. It did get a little acetic indeed, but no worries. Mouth (neat): no, certainly not Ardbeg. Some thick and excellent sherry, walnut wine, Austrian chocolate liqueur (the name escapes me, but I’m sure Mozart was involved), strong coffee, bitter oranges… This works and despite the heavy sherry treatment, it never gets stuffy and/or cloying. With water: softer, not acetic at all, all on chocolate sauce. Mexican mole. Finish: long, chocolaty, pleasantly bittersweet. I’m sure this would be great to season some (high end) salad. Comments: not one of Islay’s peaters, so probably Bunnahabhain. An excellent old-fashioned Bunnahabhain. SGP:461 - 88 points.

(thank you Tomislav!)