Tasted this at an Ardbeg Committee meeting in Houston in December 2011, and will revisit for more detailed tasting notes in the future but was perhaps my least favorite in the Ardbeg range (which I love but someone has to be last). This has a high ABV at 57.1% and I found the nose dominated by alcohol at first and then the peat comes through. Alcohol also dominates the taste at first, before the balancing sweetness and fruit I associated with Ardbeg can be found. It is quite smokey in the finish but not hugely complex, I even got some new make spirit type notes. With a little water the alcohol is subdued and some more subtle chocolate and spice notes are there. For my palate I just feel there are better Ardbeg options out there.
My Handcrafted Opinions on Whiskies, Distilleries and Other Related Stuff
