Tastes

Nose : A real fruit mountain! Apples (pretty powerful), peaches, orange, citrus, banana, and a bit of dates show up instantly. It is followed by vanilla, cinnamon and sweet oak. Taste : Pretty malty and oaky in the beginning, it gets quickly smooth and the fruits are much more subtle. Apples and vanilla are still present. Cinnamon tings in the end, giving a little spicy side. Finish : Malt is on the high note, but as it disappears, a lengthy sweet note, subtle and smooth, with touches of apples, finishes the sip.

Nose : Orange marmelade and figs are taking all the place, accompanied by a bit of salt. Earth and oak are also present. Taste : Figs are still at their prime, but a little bit sweeter, mainly caramel. An interesting sweet-n-salty mix. Finish : Short finish, sweet and smooth.

Nose : Apples, vanilla, caramel and honey. Caramel and apples show in the first time with the malt, followed by vanilla and honey. Taste : Malt and oak is quickly join by vanilla and caramel. Finish : Finish is sweet, honeyed, but not long. The malt burn is smooth, but is the last thing that is felt in the mouth, get a little bit more intense in the end.

Nose : The smoke is prime, as soon as the bottle is open! Earthy and leafy, notes of tobacco, oak and malt are present, with a faint fruity note. Taste : Young and bold, tingly malt and smoke are taking most of the place. It is not far from Laguvulin whiskeys, but without the meaty part; so closer to the Laphroaig. A sweet note is present late in the taste. Finish : Still tingly on the finish, the smoke is not too powerful, well balanced with the earthy taste, but is present for a long time.

Nose : The nose is particular, with a lot of smoke and malt, but also some notes of fruits in the background, like peat and cherry. Vanilla is also not shy. Taste : The taste reminds me of the Lagavulin 16, but younger and without bacon. The same fruits and vanilla from the nose show a presence in the long run, smoothing the taste a bit. Finish : Although the final taste is smooth and fruity, an important back draft of peat smoke comes back at the finish. Strong and lengthy.

Nose : After a powerful malt start, vanilla takes control of the show, clearly due to the first fill bourbon casks. It is followed by fruity sweetness, candied citrus, peach. Taste : Great balance of oak, vanilla and fruits. Taste is soft, vanilla more in presence, and giving the alcool taste instead of malt. Finish : It is smooth, with much less malt than the nose. Dominated by oak in the start, it slowly drifts towards candied lemon peel.

Nose : The sweetness of sherry and oily fruit is mixed with nut, sweet spices, oak and ginger, resulting in an overall tangy and oily feel in the nose. Citrus, more on the lemon side with a bit of orange marmelade (often present in Hihglands’ sherries), shows in the end. Taste : Malt taste is pretty absent, leaving all the place for the sherry finish. Fruits, orange, citrus and nut mixed together well. The oily feeling is still present. Finish : The finish is really soft, with almost no malt taste. It is a little short, but mixes notes of fruits and lemon.

Nose : A surprising great balance for an Ardbeg. Fruits are plenty: apples, banana, pineapple. A small touch of smoke brings an interesting balance! Taste: A classic Ardbeg taste. Smoke is powerful, malt also. Apples still stick out, but fruits are less present than the nose. Finish : A smooth taste of exotic burnt/smoked fruits starts the finish, with powerful malt. The smoke than gets sweeter, and stays for a long time.

2018 Edition Nose : The nose is characteristic from Lagavulin, with smoke a little less present, but sweeter. Figs show a little bit in the long run. Taste : Smoke is less intense, but feels way more present than the Lagavulin 16, but sweet, not peaty. The smoke mixes with a tobacco ting. A feint presence of fruit can be felt, but it’s too feint to really enjoy. Finish : Finish is long, starting with an important malt presence. The smoke than gets back roaring taking all the place, staying up to the end. Unfortunately less good and less balanced than the previous releases

Nose : Simple nose, fruits, malt and a bit of vanilla. Taste : Malt amd wood are predominant, covering much of the fruit. Finish : Finish is again pretty malty, not really particular