The Minutes of the Ardbeg Committee Members Meeting
Present:
Adam
Kieran
Nick
AWOL:
Andy
Blasda
AG: Malty
NS: But sweet, and classic ardbeg
AG: Touch of blueberry and vanilla on the palate
KG: Punch. Stays on the back of the throat. Long finish
AG. Smokier than talisker. Lighter than memory suggests. Looks lighter.
NS: Summer barbecue whisky.
AG [After sampling the ’77]: Lemonade, cream soda
NS: Lemon curd, and more medicinal
KG: And the smoke is more sulphuric.
The ‘77
NS: Fabulous colour. Rich. Must be the influence of the wood. Bourbon cask?
AG: Toffee. A Big wave of toffee.
NS: Tar. And Sweetness is still there
NS: Ardbeg’s own maltings.
AG Raisiny on the nose. And more toffee than usual.
KG: The texture is firing on all cylinders. Three experiences at once. Forces itself to the front of your palate.]
AG: A sunset on the tongue
NS: Sweetness stays right through to the finish. Tarry rope in the middle palate
KG: Treacle. Peat is ever-present, but unimposing, in the background.
AG: All the flavours are bouncing off the peat, and there’s a touch of smoke there too. In a bourbon cask? It feels like there are sherried elements.
KG: I’m gonna add water, to see how it changes. But I don’t think it needs it.
NS: Looks like a Speysider.
KG: Adding water was a good idea. Caramel comes to the fore, and the oils are more expansive.
17 year old
NS: Very delicate, colour is much darker than younger stock
AG: More purple fruits
KG: Cereal character in the finish
AG: Watered down compared to the 77
KG: Smoke more present
NS: Short finish
KG: Lifted and opulent
AG: Airy nose
NS: Characterful texture
KG: Very structured, comes in stages. Lightness of touch, fruity, cereal towards the finish.
AG: Cereal and vanilla on the palate.
Kildalton, 1981 52.6%
AG: Floral on the nose
NS: Candy
AG: Cream, alcoholic, sulphury (pleasantly so) [Nose]
NS: Colour is deep
NS: Distilled when distillery was closed down. They must have been playing around.
AG: Very fruity, gorgeous.
KG: Lemon meringue
NS: Spicy little bugger
AG: Brilliant, fullest and most pleasing malt I’ve ever had.
NS: Puts a smile on the face.
AG: Like Ardbeg at Woodstock
KG: Wood, like an old desk or snuff box. Old Wood.
NS: Very dry.
KG: For 52% the alcohol doesn’t present itself on the palate at all. Lovely mouthfeel.
AG: Supremely supple
Very Young
AG: Raspy on the nose.
KG: Very spirity nose
AG: Awfully shrieking note of fruit.
AG: Level of peat is fantastic
KG. Peaty aftertaste is immense. The alcohol level tickles the tongue, but does not kill it. Tolerable, even pleasant alcohol content
NS: Water lightens up the nose. 3 drops of water. Much more fruity.
Still Young
NS: Loses smoke, honey and toffee
AG: A lot of fruit
KG: Cornish vanilla ice cream, very pronounced. And smoky finish
NS: Wet wellies
AG: Briney finish
Almost There
NS: Smoke coming back
AG: Stewed pear, sultana, Demerara sugar.
KG: Vanilla ice cream still there
AG: Crushed blueberries and olive oil. Or, at least, the matt texture of olive oil.
AG: The younger ardbegs seem a lot ‘cleaner’ than the olds.
KG: Very hot finish
AG: Toast
NS:: Lost smokiness
NS: Buttered, scorched toast. Crumpets.
Renaissance
AG: Rush of vanilla on the nose. Most concentrated of the bunch.
NS: smells lighter and less alcoholic
AG: Small berries
NS: Camp fire smoke the morning after. Creamier.
KG: Very hot whisky
NS More balanced.
Uigeadail
AG: You can smell the sherry
NS; Baked apple pie
AG; The woodiest of the bunch so far
NS’ very robust
KG: The smoke has disappeared.
NS: Burnt rubber
AG: The fruit has been suppressed
NS: Mum’s apple pie
NS: Boysenberry pie
1990
NS: Grapefruit...
[The notes fell by the wayside here. But we tasted on, in peaty pleasure]