Tastes

After my complimentary comments about the new Ardbeg Blaaack, @ScotchingHard mentioned how much he had enjoyed this other Pinot Noir cask peat bomb, which I recalled I had a sample of. Duly tasted, I can report that this is indeed a good comparator. As with the Ardbeg, the Longrow spirit is enhanced with just a touch of jammy sweetness, integrated seamlessly. The Longrow has a lovely oily mouthfeel, but in general I prefer Ardbeg's earthy peat to Longrow's more aggressive pepper, which is particularly prickly on the finish here. I also found my sample of the Ardbeg had just a touch more of the blackcurrant jam than I tasted here, and was a little better for it. Still, one of the best of the Longrow Reds, and another sign that Pinot Noir plays well with peat when it comes to red wine cask maturations.

Perpetuum was the first Ardbeg special release to disappoint me, but this distillery-only version goes some way to redeeming it. Not only is it a higher ABV, but it’s also drawn from a subset of the casks used for the general release. Rich raisins and gasoline mark the nose. In the mouth, there are flavors of figs and cocoa powder. The finish leans towards 100% dark chocolate. Pretty good, but as always with Ardbeg the special releases face a high hurdle to outperforming the core line-up.

The light lemony peat and powdered sugar on the nose are promising, but the barely legal ABV fails to deliver much in the way of flavor. The mouthfeel is thin and the notes of spice, black tea and wet rocks thoroughly meh. There’s a hint of grapefruit if you’re being generous. The finish is very dry with a suggestion of tangerine. The final note I scribbled for this on the night is simply ‘why?’ An experiment as ill conceived as New Coke.

Another unicorn from this week’s Ardbeg tasting and another home run. Take the typical peppery nose and sprinkle on some sweet cinnamon. That theme continues on the palate and finish: it’s sweet, rich and peppery in the mouth and has a super long aftertaste of creamy cinnamon. Hard to pick favorites from the stellar line-up of the night but this was the one I reached for when we were finishing off the bottles at the end of the evening.

This is Ardbeg with a dash of blackcurrant jam. The Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir casks have added a subtle fruity sweetness rather than the heavy wine influence you sometimes find with such maturations. The jammy notes are very well integrated with the classic Ardbeg flavors, lightly underscoring the peat on the nose and adding a sweet touch to the finish and aftertaste. It’s perfectly executed and a return to form after last year’s disappointing Drum - just poor value at $140.

Another five-star delight at this week’s Ardbeg extravaganza. I’ve had a sample of this before and it didn’t disappoint the second time around. While the 25 year old Lord of the Isles is a classical symphony of a whisky, this youthful nine-year-old is a rock concert turned up to 11. What it lacks in sophistication, it more than makes up for in concentrated flavor.

Let’s talk about baby vomit. It’s the term often used for a sour cream aroma sometimes found in whisky, most notably Bruichladdich. It’s caused by butyric acid, a result of bacteria that form during extended fermentation times. It’s never a good idea to have too much of this in your distillate, but in small quantities many people find it a desirable (if divisive) flavor. In general I’m a fan of funky unusual notes in whisky so I really enjoyed my first experience of it in an Ardbeg, courtesy of this just released bourbon cask bottling from Cadenhead. The slightly sour aroma mingles with full-fat cream and a blast of eucalyptus nasal inhaler on the nose. The peat hits you on first sip before it turns very creamy, like a vanilla sponge birthday cake with smouldering candles. The embers linger on the finish. This is exactly what you want from an independent bottling: something that is distinctly of the distillery yet a little left-field of an official release. This baby lights my fire.

This unicorn was the highlight of an epic Ardbeg tasting in New York this week that included old rarities such as Blasda, Alligator and a distillery-only Perpetuum Committee Edition as well as the just-released Blaack and a 26-year-old cask bottled by Cadenhead. The 2004 edition emerged after 25 years in a sherry cask with a complexity that was hard to fully unpack in the setting, but nevertheless showcased a fascinating range of flavors. The nose is a rich, creamy peat with a hint of menthol. It starts off light in the mouth and then bursts with fruity flavors such as tangerines and pineapple and something akin to cheddar cheese. Tinned fruit syrup makes an appearance before the finish switches to a long tail of cream cheese and a rolling thunderstorm of smoke. This is undoubtably a whisky that would reward quiet contemplation and no doubt reveal many more sides over the course of a bottle. Lord of the Isles is truly one bottle to rule them all.

When the history of American single malt is written, this whiskey should be recognized as a milestone. Not just because it’s the first blend of its kind, but also because it marks the point at which the industry has the confidence and the supplies to craft a totem pole that says, “This is who we are.” It’s akin to that moment when Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to assemble Thor, Iron Man and Hulk into the Avengers and realized that there was no going back. What Barrell has created here is a blend that as good as a Compass Box Scotch, yet distinctly American. It’s youthful and feisty without being uncouth. Let’s talk about the flavors: is there anything more American than cherry? The nose is ripe with it and it provides the backbone of the palate. It’s not an artificial candy cherry, either, but a delicious rounded one that is neither too sweet nor sour. There’s clove too, particularly on the finish, which is long and spicy and untainted by any of the feints or green notes that tarnish much of the younger craft spirits. The body is silky and fruity and drinks way below its strength. It tastes and feels sophisticated and integrated. It’s more than the sum of its parts. If you see this offered at a bar, give it a try. Just don’t go where I did, at least not on a Friday night when 100 people are competing for the attention of two sullen servers who forget your order and then assume they can keep the significant amount of change from the bills you tendered. Whiskey, served sour.

Lovely mix of subtle sherry and peat flavors with a silky texture. I didn't get the minty blast that I enjoyed in the Temporis 21 I tried last year, but this is a satisying tipple in its own right. Thanks for sharing @PBMichiganWolverine