Ardbeg 18 Year Old - Single Cask (Master of Malt) 70cl Whisky
Single Malt
Scotland
28 Oct 1993
29 Aug 2012
Sherry
Ardbeg 18 Year Old - Single Cask (Master of Malt)
Ardbeg changed hands between 1996 and 1997, since then the distillery has only released a Ten Year Old with an age statement. So it is pretty darn exciting *massively massively exciting* to get to try an Ardbeg with an age statement and for it to be distilled before the takeover. Thankfully we have bottled this eighteen year old Ardbeg all for your delectation!
This Ardbeg is part of our Single Cask Whisky range and was bottled from a refill ex-sherry hogshead at a natural cask strength of 56.3%abv, without chill-filtration or any pesky colouring and with a limited outturn of 252 bottles. This is rare, peaty single malt from one of Islay’s most acclaimed distilleries.
"A thing of outstanding natural beauty... and probably one of the finest single casks ever commercially bottled."
Tasting Note by The Chaps at Master of Malt
Nose
Aromas of waxy lemon peel, chilli powder, kippers and soap lead to sandy beaches, violets and firm but not aggressive peat, almost like the depths of a smoke-house. Then comes tropical fruits and oranges with a whiff of brandy soaked sweet mincemeat and candied citrus peels.
Palate
At first the palate is ashy and salty with a big kick of Ardbegian peat but then comes a minerality and a mouth-coating oiliness with deeper notes of oat cakes and dried currants.
Finish
Sooty charcoal, stewing citrus fruits, seashells and dark chocolate form a sustained finish with fresh mint imperial notes at the front of the mouth.
Overall
Are there words to do justice to a whisky like this? Probably not however I'll give it a shot. This Ardbeg combines all the peat you could want with such a delicate balance of flavours that just linger on the palate for hours after the glass is finished. Aside from the sheer complexity this rare whisky boasts, it maintains a dangerously drinkable quality which entices you to keep coming back to it. It is a true shame that this whisky is so limited.
