Ardbeg 17yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
$£ variable
Ardbeg 17yo was a whisky revered by whisky lovers everywhere, a phenomenon that only increased when it was discontinued. Subsequent releases have satisfied the mourners, but Ardbeg 17 remains a malt martyr.
Have a bottle? Don't open it! I found a few of these bottles for their original prices (in USD) when I first moved over here. I now notice that The Whisky Exchange is asking £200 for a bottle. Wow. Our bottles will taste even better knowing that they are worth over 5 times what I paid for them. Cheers to that!
For all more distillery info or to see all Ardbeg had on the Malt Mission, click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Soft and seaweedy, a vanilla and malt interplay that reminds of oatmeal cookies. Cereal notes with boiled kale and smoked gouda.
Soft again, sweet and oily. Some banana and applesauce before a dark and heavy weight of peat upon swallowing. Brightens up with some lemon but all the while maintaining that gentle rumble of peat smoke. Shorter finish than might be expected but typical Ardbeg length with that unique peatiness sticking around for ages.
SUMMARY:
Toronto Islands (Centre Island, to be precise), south shore. Most readers will not get that reference, but this Ardbeg is like finding a secluded spot near the city to enjoy the sunset not quite in silence, but seemingly so with the out-of-sight-out-of-mind phenomenon; you can still hear the hum of the metropolis but nothing you can see or smell or taste would indicate that it was, all the while, lurking behind you.
Not the big bad Ardbeg one might imagine, but at no point NOT Ardbeg. Elegant, wonderful, beautifully restrained stuff.
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2 comments:
A great dram. It's really too bad it's discontinued, as sky-rocketing prices have really put it out of reach.
I just opened one last week, and it's every bit as good as your notes. Nice work Doctor!
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