Review by: zSolaris
Distillery: Ardbeg.
Region: Islay.
Age: 25 Year. Bottled on October 25, 2001.
ABV: 46.00%.
Price: $80/oz.
Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat.
Nose: There’s a decent amount of peat along with a lot of mineral-esque notes. The mineral notes are quite strong, quite reminiscent of iron supplements the wife take. A note of grapefruit is also quite prominent along with some menthol, lavender, and a bit of hand lotion.
Palate: Smoky, citrusy, and tart. I haven’t had smoked grapefruit before but this is what I imagine it would taste like, a mix of smoke and grapefruit juice.
Finish: Medium-to-short in length. A bit of smoke, not a ton going on.
Conclusion: Just around a year ago, I was sitting at the Jack Rose in Washington D.C. asking the bartender about the bottle of Ardbeg Lord of the Isles that they had on the shelf. He actively discouraged me from ordering it saying it certainly wasn’t worth the price and I ended up ordering a Millburn instead. Still, the curiosity about this famous bottling still sat with me and eventually I tracked down some. I have to say, the bartender at the Jack Rose was absolutely correct. My tasting notes from this bottle literally had “nothing special” written down. The nose is the most interesting part with grapefruit, minerals, and some aromatics. The palate is tasty but fairly simple and the finish is very simple. While I’m glad to have satiated my curiosity about this dram, I’ve yet to be impressed by Allied-era Ardbeg and this did nothing to change my mind.
Final Score: 80.
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.
Malt Runners 
