- Nose
- A little muted, with toffee, leather and fresh stone fruit. Opens up with a little lemon juice and a touch of rubber. Soft earthy, chunky peat and a little cigar ash & warm smoke. Caramel, a hint of tar, dark chocolate and orange peel with more time. The Ardbeg peat rises up from an ashy core, carrying earthy beach notes, sea salt, and mild medicinal iodine, interlaced with sweet sherry and glazed cherries. Dark Heather Honey, Orange Marmalade, Sea Brine, Lemon Peel, Rich Oak, Past-Ripe Strawberries, Caramel, Minerality, Musty Leather.
- Palate
- Very gentle, and verging on thin. Earthy peat & ashy warm smoke come to the fore. Leather and dried stone fruit follow. Slight drying saltiness and tarriness with some black pepper and more orange. The “Old Hebridean” offers a distinct Ardbeg theme interlaced with Dalmore inspired sweetness; brine, green olives and peat intermingle with sweet fruitiness. Bitterness of burnt caramelised sugar moderates sweet fruitiness as a buttery creaminess lingers. Mossy old wood, distinct licorice, some menthol, bitter orange, more sherry, and a wonderful smoke. Smoke and cracked black pepper. Briny, with a fruity underbelly of jam, cherry coke, or Dr. Pepper. Big bursting purple grapes, and a lovely fresh biscuit-y quality. Mince and mint. Phenomenal balance between peat and sweet. Slightly tannic ashiness bobs and weaves on a salty wash and hits grape wine-iness.
- Finish
- Medium in length with a smooth, slightly warming texture. More of the same, very long. Strong finish that remains on the tip of the tongue, bitterness morphs into a dull but strong delivery of honey and spice; a honey that recedes into a fog of bitter oak and the bite of a cocktail olive. Smoke coalesces and looms larger. Surprising staying power. Soft Peat, Oaky Barrel Char, Wood Smoke, Cigarette Tobacco/Heavy Tar, Vanilla, Ground Pepper, Ashy Honey/Caramel. Lingering brine and smoke.
