Tastes

The nose is quite typical of scotch with malted grain and some floral honeyed fruit, though there's quite a bit of meatiness that borders on smelling like sulfur. There's a fair amount going on on the nose, but it's fairly out of whack with a prominent smell of stinky feet covering up the nice traditional highland notes. The palate is a bit harsh with a questionable balance, but it's better than the nose. There isn't a ton going on on the palate though and the finish is weak. That stinky feet smell comes through as hot dog water. There's aren't any notes here that are good, though the floral bits and hit of lemon zest are OK. The rest is decidedly sub-par. There are some sea-spray flavors that come out more on the palate than on the nose. The complexity really isn't there either. There actually isn't a ton of the grain coming through either. It's just a very traditional scotch profile, but not a very good one. It's kind of drinkable, but really isn't enjoyable. I might be convinced that this is a bad 12 year old, but it doesn't taste older than 10, and really it tastes even younger than that. There's enough sweetness to carry it, but it's quite a bland sweetness. There's some spice, but it doesn't have much particular character (maybe white pepper?). Like Glenmorangie The Original, this has serious flaws, but I can't bring myself to hate it. It's not as good as Glenmorangie The Original, but it's acceptable perhaps. There's a nice bit of toastiness with even a hint of peanut coming through on the finish. It has that sweet, light flavor with fruit and vanilla that's characteristic of bourbon barrel aged scotch, along with a hit of cinnamon bringing up the spice and some smoke. It's hard to justify better than a 12 or worse than an 8 for this. That's a pretty broad range, but I think 9 to 11 is the most likely. Second tasting. The nose is stronger with more going on that that of Arran 10, but the balance is off with clear sulfur (though nothing like Clan MacGregor levels). There's quite a bit of cherry on the nose, somewhat like a moderately young brandy, perhaps a la Symbole National, though not as rich (though still somewhat similar). The palate is fruity and the sulfur isn't too bad. There's some stuff going on here for sure and it's moderately rich. It's more rich and complex than the 10 is, though not by an incredible amount. It isn't very interesting, but it does have some of that apricot in it a bit that's very appealing. For a fairly cheap Scotch, this really isn't a bad choice. I'm upping it to at least a 12. Ooh, the long finish does have some sulfur, so I don't think I can go above a 12.

Let's be clear: this is no Springbank 10, though it tastes like it wants to be. Still, as a whiskey with a clean highland flavor, it does work. Arran Robert Burns has more sulfur mixed with sweetness in a way that is drinkable, but is light and doesn't really balance. Arran 10 has a lot more grain on the nose, though there isn't a lot else and it's lighter on the nose overall. Arran 10 has a bit more floral nose, but also less apricot. The palate is smooth with a nice balanced sweetness that is fruity and floral predominantly, but then gives way to toasted grain and some smoke mixed with sea-spray. There's something a bit bitter in here too, though it's actually quite good despite being generic. There's a bit of nectar from the floral flavors and fruits, though it isn't super complex or rich and does have a young character to it. Overall, this whiskey tastes young, but well-executed for its age. It's nothing amazing, but it's perfectly sippable. I'm thinking 12-13. Maybe 14, but unlikely to be 15. Still, even at 15, there would be a respectable margin between it and Springbank 10 that would make a lot of sense. It can have a 13 for now. A fresh sip shows a bit more youth and immaturity as the alcohol burns a bit more and the rich mellowness isn't as detectable. A bit more lemon and cream come through on the nose, reminding me of a lemon meringue pie. A bit more light apricot does come out too. The nose reminds me of Green Spot a bit. The palate has a bit more harshness in a way that reminds me of Dalwhinnie. It tastes very natural and ticks several boxes, but it's still remarkably average. I think it's a bit better than Arran Robert Burns, but it isn't better by much. It's light with floral and fruit flavors that are backed by some graininess and a bit of smoke with some alcohol bringing in a tad of numbing soapiness. It really reminds me a lot of Dalwhinnie 15. It's somehow less rich and smooth than Dalwhinnie 15 is and it lacks that hint of cherry. On the flip side, it also lacks that weird off taste and is a bit more balanced despite being less complex. This is definitely less mature with more of a bourbon barrel spiciness to it than Dalwhinnie 15. This reminds me of Dalwhinnie 15 crossed with Glenmorangie The Original. I'm not sure it's actually in between the two so much as comparable with the Glenmorangie. It's fine enough, but not super exciting. Definitely sippable though. I'm landing in the 13 to 14 range on this, but sticking with the 13 for now. If it weren't for the sulfur, it say the Robert Burns version was better. If it were better balanced too, it could be great.

Rich with a more subtle but longer lasting sweetness than the uigeadail. Notes of fruit, vanilla, and some spices are present alongside the standard Ardbeg coffee and tobacco. Slightly better than the uigeadail. Compared to Lagavulin 16, there is a stronger flavor of tobacco bitterness here, but there is also some more fruity playfulness. The balance is good here, but not as brilliant as that of the Lagavulin 16. Notably though, the Ardbeg Corryvreckan goes its own way. I just wish that the sweetness lasted longer into the finish so that the ending was not complete bitterness. There is some great depth here, but you have to be willing to sell the taste buds to tobacco (or maybe iodine) to experience it. On a totally odd note, it's weird how pale this scotch can be while being totally full of peat. There is so much complexity here. It is really strong, both in flavor and alcohol content, but the peat and other rich flavors counterbalance the alcohol. As it progresses, so many flavors come out: tobacco, cocoa, faint vanilla, mild red fruit, a slight hint of minerals, and so many other mixtures. It's delightful. This is a rich whiskey rather than a sweet one, but it is amazingly complex and has a slightly sweet finish. What a delight!

The flavor is quite robust and balanced. It could use some improvement to reduce the mint and bitterness. It's fairly unique. It starts with some orange fruitiness, but the sweetness from that quickly fades to heavy smoke with a solid dose of peat. Some mint is clearly present. There is some mineral flavor with a bit of sea spray. It tastes a little bit like stale bread, but not too much. The bitterness is really strong on the finish, which is a bit disappointing. The cereal is pretty good. There is a lot going on, but the flavors do not marry terrifically and there are a few disappointingly youthful flavors.

The nose isn't all that strong actually, though some smoke stands out - not so much peat, but there is some. It doesn't smell particularly sweet, though it does have some light fruity scents and a little bit of light bitter herbal nose. The palate is rich and full, starting with smoke, peat, and fruit. The fruit is a little hard to place, but I think it tastes a lot like apricot - really, it seems distinct from the pineapple that they claim. It's sweet, but rounded and rich. This is much closer to the 2019 supernova in quality than to the 2015. The flavors all balance nicely and it's quite tasty. This is definitely comparable to the 2019 Supernova in quality, though it tastes more like the 2015, but with some beautiful fruity richness that makes it what it always should have been. I see where the chili in the description comes in a bit, adding some spiciness and harshness in a way that is not out of place. There's some dark chocolate that blends well with the chili. The spices are balanced, with a little bit of cinnamon, some black pepper, and moderated clove that brings in soft tannins. There may be some peat, but it skirts tasting like gross bread. This is a great whiskey by any standard. I sure hope it isn't one that breaks the bank because I'd like a bottle. The chocolatey finish is really nice. This is super nice to drink. I'll go ahead and call this my favorite ardbeg release. It's so good, but sadly the price is far too high.

As with ardbeg in general, the color is surprisingly pale. The nose is quite strong though with lots of smoke and peat mixed with some great umami and some surprising menthol and pine. There still nice sweetness on the nose with plenty of vanilla coming in along with a bit of light toffee scent. The complexity just in the nose is delightfully engaging and the scents are great with a nice balance - though the menthol and light pine are probabaly hit or miss (they're interesting at least). The palate is shockingly smooth and sweet with a rounded richness that brings in a lot of smoke before moving toward peat and emphasizing the numbing menthol a bit more. Although it's very smooth at this ABV, this isn't a watery whiskey - this is the good kind of smooth. There's some toffee to the sweetness. The flavors pretty much land and the complexity swirls, though it's generally subtle - about on par with Johnnie Walker Green in that regard. It tastes very good though - clearly better than Glenturret 29. There's a lot of chocolate in here and also probabaly some salted licorice, but more on the fresh side than that usual dark licorice flavor (maybe it includes some fennel as the bottle claims). This could have some more overt complexity with flavors making clear statements, but in it's smooth form, this is a very sippable whiskey with a few interesting notes in the menthol, licorice, and pine divisions. It's really good. Oak comes in on the finish as the smoke smolders, leaving some of the wood unburnt, but still affected by the fire. The mouthfeel is moderate - a nice place for it to be since it isn't so light that it seems watered down or so viscous that it seems like syrup was added. This isn't one of those few whiskeys that I'm going to track down at substantial effort and buy at high cost, but it is quite enjoyable. It's sweeter than expected and that's fairly nice, though a bit odd (I sort of don't know what to make of it). I've been hovering around an 18 for a while, but the more I drink it, the more I appreciate the smoothness and balance even though it doesn't have that complexity and punch of an interesting flavor that I really love. I'm pretty tempted to move this up to a 19 because I gave the Springbank 10 a 19 and I think this is more mature, but I'm not quite prepared to do that. It's very good though. Surprisingly, it becomes harsher with water. Unfortunately, the subtleties also fade away. I don't think it's actually a 19. I'm a fan though. Just not at the price.

The nose has nothing like that blast of smoke and peat that the 2019 Supernova has. It smells kind of like watered down malt whiskey - not at all exciting. There's more fruit on the nose than I expect from Ardbeg, though not a ton. There are peat and smoke on the nose here, though nothing like in the 2019 Supernova. The palate is similarly much lighter with a lot of sweetness that doesn really fit - sort of like Oban 14. There's also a lot of gross bread. The fruit comes through with a lot of vanilla and floral notes. There's a decent amount of harshness - more than the 2019 (which was quite smooth), but less than many whiskeys. Really, it's decently smooth. Ultimately, there's a lot of iodine from the peat and that can be a bit overwhelming. It's good, but has flaws. It's completely clear that the 2019 supernova is better. Although this has that sweet layer, the sweet flavors blend together and then get trampled by the peat, smoke, and licorice. There's a ton of peat, which is unfortunately too much. I normally like sweetness, but this sweetness lacks character. The combination of peat and sweetness is unfortunately bland and ill-balanced. There is a bit of meatiness, but this mostly tastes like peat and char. So much iodine. And sweetness too. It's certainly sippable, but I'd pick something else, especially at this price point. Diving deep enough, there is some complexity, but all told it isn't balanced and that's a big problem. I have no idea why people are such big fans. With some water, everything mellows a bit a and the prickly spice becomes more interesting than harsh. Still, the flavor has issues. There isn't even anything awesome that jumps out as a delightful flavor. The water muddies things and the result is not a great whiskey.

A bit of coffee and a robust tobacco flavor with bursts of sweet cherry that taste faintly of cough syrup but is not wholely unpalatable.

A rich medly of flavors with a strong taste of tobacco from the peat. Fruity and sweet at the beginning before it gives way to coffee and finally tobacco on the finish. Better than the 10 or an oa.

Predominantly coffee and tobacco, with the former being stronger than in the an oa. A hint of fruit and some sweetness on the finish.