Review by: The Muskox

This is my 200th review! Time for something crazy.

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Distillery: Ardbeg.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 46.3%.

Age: 23 years.

Cask type: Ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Dark and coastal. Seaweed and seawater aplenty. There’s a bubblegum note sitting on top that all my friends who tried this whisky also found. Lots of earthy barnyard, with old hay, black pepper and Mezcal-esque fresh rubber. There’s some sweet caramel lurking in there somewhere, but it’s pretty deep. A hint of sesame oil as well. Some tart lime and banana peel came out after a few more minutes, followed by smoked anchovies. Then it shifted again into vanilla and powdered sugar, then into cedar and maraschino cherry.

Palate: Salt up front, with lime and lots of grapefruit. There’s a real dark peat note that sits underneath everything, me and my buddies who tried this with me settled on tar and ink. There’s some earthy malt in the middle, with the slightest trace of vanilla. Spiced, earthy, coastal peat smoke builds and builds. Nutmeg, oak, and clove develop from the smoke, then give way to black pepper, rubber, and more of that ink. After enough of a rest, the oloroso component appeared, in the form of raisin sweetness and cinnamon bun.

Finish: Long. More salt throughout. Stays earthy, with manuka honey, dark chocolate, and more nutmeg. Just a hint of ash, and an even smaller hint of sherry sweetness.

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Conclusion: It’s… so, so, so good. I definitely prefer this one to the 21 I reviewed yesterday. Just, layers and layers and layers of flavour. Funky in the best way. Uber-complex. And to top it off, it’s got a cedar note, so you know it’s getting a good score from me. This is the best Ardbeg I’ve had yet, and up there with the best whiskies I’ve had from anywhere. Outstanding.

Final Score: 95.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.