It's the Committee Release of Ardbeg Kelpie, a single malt released in 2017 having been matured in casks made from virgin Black Sea oak and more traditional bourbon casks. The Committee Release is bottled at the higher strength of 51.7% ABV (while the standard Ardbeg Kelpie is bottled at 46% ABV).
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A wonderful, intense, ‘dancing’ nose, with lots of different, intertwined aromas – powerful, oily peat, dark chocolate, smoked fish, hints of seaweed, and a curious, sharp herbal note. Waves of spicy, black pepper. A splash of water brings forth some classic Ardbeg notes, such as creamy coffee, smoked fudge and pine resin. Even some hints of smoked coconut.
A peppery mouthfeel is followed by a crescendo of rich flavours. Treacle toffee, Turkish coffee, smoky bacon and lots of dark, dark chocolate. A curious burst of peachy, estery fruit, hickory wood, clove oil and a suggestion of black olives on the aftertaste.
Seemingly lasting forever, with deep, deep, almost subterranean flavours of clove, tar and rich toffee.
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Just an absolute knock out. Thick warm spicy mouth, rich oily chocolate, deep maritime smoke. Beautifully balanced. Almost tricks your mind into switching between dark chocolate confectionary and savoury smoked haddock; both of which bring me back to weekends at my grandparents house.
Phenomenal dram. Real depth to the nose, very complex - maritime with coffee/peat. A dark, murky palate which never settles on any one flavour. Meaty, smoky, bitter, oily, fragrant and tart at the same time - bewildering and fantastic.
I didn't expect to like the Kelpie, being a big fan of the Oogie and Corry. And yes, it's true that the Kelpie is distinctly different. But it may now be my favorite Ardbeg. Does it have that famous Ardbeg complexity and peatiness? Yes. The smoke, though, is more muted, coming in on the tail end of some herbal, buttery, briny notes that give way to a sea-kelp/sea-weed flavor. Every time I sip this, I am taken back to memories of campfires on the beach in Oregon, cooking fresh salmon while breathing in the ocean air, with hints of pine on the breeze. It's intense, yet more subtle than the Corry, and more salty than the Oogie. A long, satisfying finish.
Tasting notes above are accurate, an incredible dram which is a great example of what whisky is all about - complexity but with an overall cohesion that bewilders the palate. Awesome! Elements of both the Uigeadail and the Corryvreckan but melded into something much more intense and different entirely.
