Malt Mission 2011 #399

Ardbeg Provenance 1974 Bottle #1605

Islay Single Malt Whsky

54.7% abv

+/- £1000

+/- $1200 (USD)

I featured Ardbeg twice in the first month of this malt mission over four years ago and I am fortunate enough to get to taste this piece of history in the run-up to Malt Mission #400

Bottled in 1998, this is the US edition of the legendary Ardbeg Provenance series (geeky bits HERE) that reportedly made people shit their pants upon first tasting it. Seriously, this is a story that has been relayed to me by an enthusiast and I cannot think of any reason why someone would lie about doing such a terrible thing to their Joe Boxers. And soiling oneself is a pretty good reassurance to the naysayers that the Glenmorangie takeover in 1997 was going to be a very good thing, if sometimes requiring a change of underwear.

Ardbeg is probably the king of the cult distilleries in terms of attracting the most diehard fans and quasi-religious followers. They have the Ardbeg Committee, they have dedicated fan sites (Tim's Ardbeg Project), and past bottlings have, as noted above, made grown men shit their pants.

I was fortunate enough to be on Islay recently and distillery manager Mickey Heads explained to us how many people spend the night at the distillery to be sure to get Feis Ile bottles (and sell them online?) the following morning. Now, I love whisky, and I really like Ardbeg, but sleeping over in Islay rain?

Finally, a big thanks must be extended to the amazing Jazz Dentist. Not only did Peter set aside a sample when I last visited Dram Central Station before leaving New York, but he had prepared it in a wee bottle to take home for my wife, the Ardbeg freak of this family. I hope he won't mind me saying that he has also undergone his last chemo treatment and is that much closer to his dram to celebrate THE END of what he calls "this whole business."

Whatever drop you choose, Peter, may it taste not of heaven, but of earth.

For more distillery info, or to see all Ardbeg whiskies tasted since the beginning of this blog, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

All the sweetness of aged quality ex-bourbon casks emerge first, coconut shavings, marshmallow, coffee cake, vanilla custard, followed by the expected tide of magic markers, latex, plasticine, fishtanks, and finally, algaic peat, but maintaining a creamy sweetness throughout.

A tease of brown sugar before an strange brew of cocoa, smoke, mustard and toffee. Otherworldly flavour development. Oh my. Just sinking its nails into my cheeks with peach, honey, barbecue sauce, and salty tears. May these sensations never end.

SUMMARY:

A big whisky for a big occasion. A liquid that today might be underappreciated quaffed over the Ardbeg stand at some FEST or LIVE or MESSE, where superficial impressions make lasting ones. This whisky is really all about a complexity that only makes itself known with patience, attention, and respect. Respect your whiskies this dramming season be it at Limburg, WhiskyFEST Chicago, or Spirit of Toronto. Thanks again, Peter.

Malt Mission #396
Malt Mission #397
Malt Mission #398
Malt Mission # 400

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Malt Mission 2009 #357

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.

Malt Mission #356
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Malt Mission #360

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Malt Mission 2007 #127

Ardbeg Almost There
Islay Single Malt Whisky
54.1% abv
£30

Had the Still Young yesterday, and we are getting a year older today with Arbeg Almost There. This bottling is from all ex-bourbon casks, all 9 years old. After dubbing the first two releases of this series "Very Silly" and "Still Silly", even the ever-opinionated Richard Joynson of Loch Fyne Whiskies found something nice to say. "Ardbeg Almost There is not at all silly or even deserving of our proposed moniker of Almost Sensible, this is Perfect Ardbeg." And he is not alone. This stuff has been critically acclaimed across the board and the whisky world is pretty excited about the eventual release of the post-Allied, Glenmorangie plc produced 10 year old.

All Ardbeg Malt Mission posts can be found HERE

TASTING NOTES:

Black licorice, pine, fireplace, burnt beard/hair. Satsumas or mandarin squash/concentrate. Dirty Ardbeg bottom with some chemical odours of shampoo, tar, and tires. Has a winter-air effect, cold steel.

Big movement from sweets to salts with matzos in between. Syrupy, lemon Monin. Almost a smoky oil layer in the mouth too, smoked cod liver oil. Orange peels keep things bright while Play-doh and clay keep things earthy. Ardbeg coffee and chocolate are present along with more dirty Ardbeg characteristics in the form of compost or bad, bad breath.

SUMMARY:

Quite complex stuff that could be mulled over for hours. I am not ashamed to say that this is not really my bag, but I don't need to sell you on this. As I've said before, Ardbeg aficionados abound. This stuff will sell even if one whisky blogger says it tastes like compost or bad breath. I look forward to the new 10yo, but imagine I will remain a Uigeadail drinker when it's an Ardbeg evening.

Malt Mission #126
Malt Mission #128
Malt Mission #129
Malt Mission #130

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Malt Mission 2007 #126

Ardbeg Still Young
Islay Single Malt Whisky
56.2% abv
£33

We are going to start two weeks of Islay treats on the Malt Mission with a pair of young Ardbegs today and tomorrow. It will be a couple of extremely tasty weeks, if not entirely summer-themed... or perhaps perfect for this summer.

Glenmorangie Plc saved Ardbeg from an uncertain fate when they bought the distillery in 1997. This bottle is from a series launched with a 'for discussion' committee bottling in 2003, it was sold out almost immediately and today it fetches a pretty penny at shops and at auction. Buzz in place, the three official releases in the run-up to a relaunched 10yo began in 2005 with Ardbeg 'Very Young'. Now this one is difficult to find and will cost you large once you do. I have said it before but Ardbeg has a maddening cult following. Crazy, and hard to believe today, but in many whisky books published between 1960-1990 Ardbeg is absent. In 1989 Michael Jackson feared for its future writing, "Too intense for the blenders [...] and that uncompromising nature may have silenced the distillery."

So this is from a series that is effectively a run-up to the relaunch of the 10 year old, commemorating 10 years of Glenmorangie-produced Ardbeg(2008). They are named Very Young(2005), Still Young(2006), and Almost There(2007) and are all bottled unchillfiltered and at cask-strength. Risky idea that some may have once criticised, but has proven that at least a fraction of the malt market is interested in works in progress. We have already seen similar moves from other Islay distilleries and a few indie mainland ones. Expect more.

All Ardbeg Malt Mission posts can be found HERE

TASTING NOTES:

Puff (of smoke), the magic dragon. Toasted cashews, vanilla, mint fudge, and a clean teapot. Slightly metallic, wet worms or oysters.

Soft and sweet in the mouth. Then hot. Whoa. Yeah, explodes in chilli, pepper, and lime. With peat and sugar. Drying and sappy with raw oak.

SUMMARY:

Amazing that there is no prickle or bite in the nose for the strength and youth, but not that amazing that I found the array of flavours quite simple. There is an exciting youth about it (feinty and, um... hard?) that makes it volatile in the mouth, but I imagine a few more sherry casks per batch and a few more years will calm this dragon down and add great depth... If that is something you think would be desirable. Some people love playing with knives, I prefer playing with balls. Um, that doesn't read so well.
Malt Mission #125Malt Mission #127
Malt Mission #128Malt Mission #129
Malt Mission #130
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Malt Mission 2007 #100

Ardbeg 1972/2000, 28yo
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask
Islay Single Malt Whisky
50% abv
price unknown, my guess is £300

While I am delighted to celebrate Malt Mission #100, I am also pretty pissed off. This morning I wrote a bit of this post, tasted the dram and wrote down impressions. I was going to write a bit more now and post it only to find the original saved post was gone. Argh. To be honest, I am surprised it took this long for something like this to happen. The only other thing I am surprised hasn't happened yet is to spill a dram all over my laptop. Fingers crossed that won't happen until at least MM500.

The good news is that I have about 5ml left in the wee sampler bottle and get to try again. I will be relying somewhat on memory from this morning.

So here we are, Malt Mission 100. Sure, it may not be much to the Malt Maniacs or to Taylor Smisson (of the now discontinued Malt Drinker's Diary), or other crazy whisky nerds out there, but I am happy. I mean, I like Star Trek, but to tell you what stardate Picard lost his father, what a soliton wave is, or to send you a wedding invitation in Klingon is WAY beyond me. This blog has, from the beginning with Johnnie Walker Black, been about sharing information about Scottish whisky in an inclusive, fun, and informative way. I hope it succeeds at that, and continues to do so. My liver feels great.

Over the weekend and next week, as a part of the official centenary celebration, I will share some of the funny searches that have led folks to the blog, I will attempt to make list of my Top Pics(so far), and will dole out the thank-yous that so many of you deserve for forwarding the page to others, posting links on websites, sharing drams, reading and commenting.

Speaking of sharing drams, a big thanks to Michael Hopert sharing a drop of this little gem from his own collection. Prost! Let's taste (again).

This is one of just 222 bottles from this particular cask. It is from the last year of distillation at Ardbeg before being handed over to the Ardbeg Distillery Trust, the first stage of the eventual Hiram Walker take over of the distillery, and one of the last years of 'old, peaty' Ardbeg, when the whisky was still made from barley malted in Ardbeg's own maltings.

For more Ardbeg info see Malt Missions 15, 20, and 70

TASTING NOTES:

Concentrated, immediately rich and sexy. Starburst or Opal Fruits off the top over piles of peat. Leaf fires. Thick and hearty. Gummy. Juicy Fruit sweetness, Thai lime freshness with a meaty heart. Deep fried cinnamon dough. Bloody appetising.

The power potential can be felt immediately in the mouth. So controlled. Amazing. Like a sprinter in ready position, you can feel the liquid's excitement at what it is about to show you. Bursts into a smoked salmon cream spread, more of that synthetic fruit sweetness with a full breath of dried fruits and toasty oak. The organic, mineral, dirty Ardbeg characteristics are also all present. Yard fires in the autumn. Exhale smoke and stone.

SUMMARY:

Even if I tried (and I'm trying!) to get down everything this whisky is doing, I would be doomed to failure. This is a beautiful whisky, full of character. A dram to visit and revisit. It engages you in a sensory conversation that only a fool would rush. With this beauty you would easily spend a beautiful, memorable night, and you wouldn't hesitate to call in the morning.

After I had it this morning, I could still taste the stony peat up to 4 hours later.

MM100 celebrations

Malt Mission #96
Malt Mission #97
Malt Mission #98
Malt Mission #99

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Malt Mission 2007 #70

Ardbeg 1975
Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
Sherry cask #1375
54.2% abv
£399

What a way to celebrate the end of week 14(!!!), my 70th Malt Mission. Who the heck knew this would still be going? Many thanks to all of you for reading, linking, sharing, etc.

Ardbeg has really become a whisky for collectors and don't you try to deny it. No one who buys a bottle of the new Almost There buys just one. Same goes(went?) for the Very Young and Still Young. In fact, those things go for silly amounts of money some places online RIGHT NOW. Friends were just on Islay and said a German guy came in to the Ardbeg shop at the end of their tour, and with stereotypical efficiency beelined for what bottles he wanted and went straight to the cash register. Just have a look at this

I am not saying there is anything wrong with this phenomenon, it is just interesting, isn't it? I mean, it basically means that every time you have some drop of Ardbeg, out of that bottle of 17yo you have or out of a cask at the distillery, someone somewhere is jealous... or willing to pay you for the privilege. I think that's weird. But cool.

Anyways, this is the "first treat" to be released from Ardbeg's Single Cask range in 2007, and the big butt #1375 from 1975 yielded 522 bottles of tasty nectar. More Ardbeg info HERE.

A huge thanks to Colin at the Vinopolis shop of The Whisky Exchange for sharing a drop(take-away, no less) of this beauty.

TASTING NOTES:

Maple, lemon juice, and shrimp/prawns all manage to say 'hello' before you get hit with smoke from a wood fire. A little bit of aloe or odour-free soap, with some Ardbeg sulphury flatulence beneath. The character of the nose is amazing; the scents seem to spiral at you with each nosing, like pipe smoke (or how about here or here). Heheheee. Very sexy.

A split second of sweet hard apples and honey before a wave of wood smoke and then a cloud of peat. Big delivery. Gentle sherry character comes through with some spice and berries. Baked goods, prunes, lime and toasted sesame seeds. Like a long flowing dress, the finish doesn't start, as such; the same fabric just folds gently to the floor. Another metaphor? Sure. An organ-like finish, it just holds the chord already made as it echoes through the cathedral(of my mouth).

SUMMARY:

Ardbeg through and through. Rich and sexy, and even a bit tart and lively for a 30 year old whisky. Not overpowered by anything but lots of smoke and just enough sherry character to add that dried fruit dimension. Great stuff, and you pay for it.

Malt Mission #66
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Malt Mission #69

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Malt Mission 2007 #20

Ardbeg Uigeadail
Islay Single Malt Whisky
54.2% abv
£38.50
$95(USD)

Happy mouth and healthy liver!!! End of Week 4 of this Malt Mission. Lets end it with a bang.

Ardbeg was a MacDougall family distillery from its birth in 1815 to 1959 when the fate of the distillery was put very much in the hands of the Lord(s of the Isles).

Hiram Walker became owners in 1976 and were responsible for a few sad stretches of history for the distillery, the closing of the maltings in 1980, demolishing three warehouses, and the mothballing(ceasing production but keeping the facilities to produce intact) of the distillery between 1981 and 1989.

It went back into limited production when Allied Vinters(later "Allied Distillers") bought Hiram Walker. Since Glenmorangie bought the distillery in 1997 the place has been reborn to the benefit of whisky lovers the world over.

A beautiful distillery to visit and fall in love with the setting, all the ornate celtic designs on the stills, the colour schemes in each room, and the warehouses filled with air suited for angels (whisky nerd pun intended).

Despite whisky's special history in Canada for many reasons, some stories less known than others, the LCBO still does not carry this heavenly nectar. (You can get the Ardbeg 10yo, though)

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet, but sweaty and very smoky. Lamb and mint. Lime. Norwegian smoked salmon and jars of herring. Caraway seeds. Red plums. Shaving cream. Smoked cheese. Beach parties with fires, cigarettes and other smokables, wet bathing suits, and sexy salty skin. And I could go on... Bloody heck, this thing just doesnt stop giving!

Somehow enters the mouth softly, amazing at the strength! The taste is hot and bothered, but soft. Powerful yet not pushy. Immense peat fires. Cocoa and weak instant coffee. Long sweet malty finish.

SUMMARY:

I wonder if they just sold the water from Loch Uigeadail, Ardbegs water source, if it would taste much like this and reveal why Ardbeg has such a special flavour. A peat lover's dream, a great price for the impact. Definietly a mood dram, but not only for days you've seen car crashes and crying children. Masterful stuff. (See this videoblogger's review. He is unpretentious and really quite passionate which is great, but the best part is that his camerca can only film 2mins57sec so he always gets cut off. Brilliant)

Malt Mission #16
Malt Mission #17
Malt Mission #18
Malt Mission #19

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Malt Mission 2007 #15

Ardbeg Serendipity
Supreme Blended(Vatted) Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£35 (and rising)

Ah, the end of the third week of this malt mission and I can see at least 3 more weeks coming off of that shelf. Woo-hoo! Thanks for reading.

It has been a week of vatted malts from Compass Box, and seems appropriate to finish with a critically acclaimed and currently VERY hard to find bottling from Glenmorangie plc. Royal Mile Whiskies' website already gives this malt 'dearly departed' status.

Glenmorangie owns Ardbeg and Glen Moray, and the Bailie Nichol Jarvie blend. They are all owned by Moet Hennesey/Louis Vuitton. STYLISH!!! This means the product launches have stepped up a notch, d'accord? It also means they use the same bottling plant, which is necessary to understand if we are to believe the following.

Ardbeg Serendipity is, as the story goes, the result of a most serendipitous accident. Whisky is dumped from casks into tanks for bottling. There was apparently some Glen Moray 1992(12 yr old) still in the tank when they began dumping OLD (I have heard everything from 20-30 year old, I have heard 1977, I have heard older. Possible it was a bunch of underproof aged casks, but who knows?) Ardbeg into the vatting tank. Oops. Result is 20% Glen Moray 12yo and 80% OLD Ardbeg.

Kristin is NUTS for the stuff and has been through 3 bottles since the beginning of November. Okay, I helped.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweetness comes off first, bourbony vanilla. Then comes the dirtiness. Peat, feet, sweat, diapers/nappies. Wet stone(?), moss, earth. Still sweet, creamy (Coffee Mate?) and these flavours arrive together, beautifully united rather than on two separate planes, which is unexpected.

Vanilla, peat and chocolate. Smoking while changing a diaper (like in the good ole days... can you imagine seeing that today? we would all turn up our noses, no doubt...). Baby powder, and skin. Briliant mouthfeel and the initial attack of flavour is SO pleasant, like a bubble popping that contained essence of sweet cakes, vanilla, fire and flatulence(okay, maybe not so pleasant, but great in context of this whisky's character).

This stuff isn't pretty, but it is pretty drinkable.

ps. About 5 minutes later I had a nasty metallic and chlorine like taste in my mouth.

SUMMARY:

The Malt Maniacs felt that this could "invoke the wrath of anoraks worldwide", but I find that absolutely ridiculous. I guess it is possible if by 'anorak' they mean wealthy whisky collecting Europeans with "doubtful gaze" set as their default perception. But then, who cares. Those customers already have MANY niche products geared for them(the link is but one example). Serendipity is not one of them, so leave it to those of us who are, what fancy term shall I use...aha! 'Skint whisky lovers.' (Besides, anoraks are supposed to be interested in obscure things that are terminally unfashionable. With whisky, at least for right now, that is certainly not the case.)

Serendipity is tasty, tasty whisky. I would compare it to yesterday's Compass Box only to call Serendipity the ugly older sibling to the kinder more sophisticated Eleuthera. But Serendipity is a great whisky and, as I have said before, the most guilt free way to quaff very old Ardbeg. Although with its limited availability, those guilt-free days are numbered.

Malt Mission #10
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Malt Mission #14

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