Part 1 of Reviews from The Auld Alliance Singapore
Review by: Whiskery Turnip
Few whisky institutions came up as often as the Auld Alliance when I told people I was returning to Singapore for a spell. The bar had long been on my list of places to pop in, but the stars had never entirely aligned. I made sure it was on the schedule for this visit and met up with a whisky friend, though he might identify more as a rum head, for a visit.
The staff was amiable, and our whisky friend was immensely helpful in navigating all the possibilities while pointing out and ensuring we did not miss any of the absolute highlights. I ticked off a few distilleries I had never tried before and could have chased even more had I wanted. We did not do an organized flight during this visit. Still, we tried to slowly crescendo through cask, abv, and flavor intensity during the evening. The reviews are split between the three below that I spent the least time with and four more single reviews of bottles that received more focused attention.
Between the people and the whisky, the Auld Alliance was magical.
Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region: Scotland/Islay Single Malt
ABV: 57.8%. Cask strength.
Age: 10 years. Distilled in 1978. Bottled in 1988.
Cask type: Oak.
Nose: Industrial and herbal, mint and Chinese medicinal spices, tar and motor oil, mellow brine, burlap sacs and flax fibers.
Palate: Medium-bodied, refined sugar, algae, nori chips, white pepper, subtle licorice and medicinal spice, hints of metallic iron and red dirt, maritime brine and tar.
Finish: Long and mellow with citrusy orange, burlap, and brine.
Mental Image: Harbor Side Medicine Shop
Conclusion: This vintage Ardbeg had much in common with the modern incarnation of the 10 Year, but dialed up to 11 and with an herbal medicinal edge that reminded me of a traditional Chinese medicine shop. Classic tar and rope, or burlap sacks, stood out, while a more mellow iron and metallic industrial quality was slow to develop. The finish was mild with orange citrus and woven flax fibers for all the aggressive maritime port notes on the nose and palate. I reckon that modern Ardbeg often retains a lot of the tar and maritime elements but with less of the rope or burlap sac— a sort of fibrous quality.
I am happy to report that this malt was delicious, but I am further convinced that old Ardbeg and I do not seem to quite click as well as it does with other people. I still think the distillery has one of the better modern core ranges, but I seem to nearly always be on the low end of scores or reactions when it comes to independent releases of the distillery’s malt or even its special editions. I wish I could taste this against a cask-strength version of the modern ten.
Final Score: 86.
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 