Tastes

Not chill-filtered but, unfortunately, still with the caramel coloring, so the straw yellow color is absolutely bogus (you see how much this bothers me, yes?). Just by opening the bottle comes a mighty whiff of smoke, intense and pungent, and if you don't like peat, put it away immediately to clean the engine of your bike. If instead you decide to stop and smell it in the glass, you'll find out how there is much more than tar peat: marine and medicinal scents (oh well, it's Laphroaig), which veer on the sugary, marshmellow type charred on the hearth. The alcohol content is present, but just to make the smoke more substantial and pungent. To have it breathe, the alcohol calms down, the sweet and savory notes tame the peat and becomes less aggressive. On the palate, BAM!, immediately the big tough tar sack, enclosed in a sweet-salty glove that seems to want to reassure you after the blow, only to realize in the long run that the 48 degrees are all there and they are well felt. A little wood also arrives (those barrels weere there for something) and vanilla, spices and the trademark aroma of hospital ward. Continuing the drink (and therefore the aeration of the glass), the alcohol tames (but not too much), the medicinal peat softens and flirts with the brackish. The finish is long, with all the aromas that remain on the palate while you try to dispose of the alcohol which, you did not notice, but gave you a good shake.

The color is of that beautiful caramel that must give the impression of a whisky with an important aging, while as you surely know, it indicates instead what they really used to make it so. By nearing your nose to the glass (and not by diving in it!), the saline and oceanic scents expected from Bowmore arrive immediately, accompanied by peat (gentle and non-aggressive), chocolate and a little butter. A sweet and peaceful aroma, where the typical Islay smoke caresses you more than punching you in the face. The sweetness remains on the palate, always accompanied by well-present smoke and ocean salinity, all well blended but somewhat boring. The drink is without flicker, a pimp whiskey that wants to please everyone, without pressing on any key. Pleasant, of course, but not exactly memorable. And in fact, after drinking, the scents do not accompany you for long: sweet smoke, a pinch of salinity, which escape after a short time as if they were in a hurry to go elsewhere.

The color is pale gold. And here, on the nose, the beautiful tar of Ardbeg: asphalt, rubber, strong marine personality, lemon. But it's not all that abrupt, underneath there are also ripe pear and a pinch of vanilla ... brutal yes, but not rough. On the palate, the peat is a fleshy and vegetable mixture, more aggressive than the smell, thanks to the alcoholic boost which, although not high, can bite. It flows creamy in the mouth, melted butter on the burning embers (or on the hot asphalt, you choose), with brushstrokes of peppery licorice and lemon. But we are whiskey and beyond peat there is more, if you are not impatient take the full-bodied spirit of the distillate, which knows how to unfold in the salty and marine aspects that alternate with the sweeter ones (also hazelnuts and even chocolate) with a touch of moist burnt wood. The finish is long, pepper and barbecue, ocean and licorice, smoke and wood.

Third in a chromatic series, Amber presents itself strictly without added colouring (they say) and a nice light gold (no, not amber). The nose is sweet and marmalade-ysh. Vanilla, candied fruit, raisins... a bit like approaching a cake, with a warm and delicate aroma. Not cloying, but a good pimp. The palate can only resume what is perceived by the nose, with still a lot of vanilla, candied orange, butter... from the jam to pastries, with a pinch of wood and spices that peep out. Very soft and smooth, without flicker but pleasant. The finish is not very long, less sweet and more spicy, but always creamy.

Poured into the glass we find a limpid color (although there is always our caramel friend to "pollute" things), which unfortunately the dark bottle does not allow to appreciate. The origin of Islay is felt in the brackish aromas that accompany the peat, together with citrus and fresh notes that, if you let the glass to breathe for some time, also create a certain spiciness. The palate reflects what is perceived by the nose, still with the peat smokiness (perfumes that clearly recall the places of origin of this distillate), combined with pepper and citrus fruits. Ocean salinity is always present, well integrated into the whole, without overwhelming the colors of the whisky. Smoke and spices remain in the mouth after having emptied (calmly) the glass, where the perfume remains as long as the palate.

I love this distillate already from the label, very elegant, and the choice to keep a gold color is well suited (although artificial). On the nose a lot of sweetness, in the good sense, not cloying: honey, chestnuts, hazelnut, fruit, hay, caramel... a symphony of aromas that seems infinite, harmonious and persuasive, enveloping and warm. An Arbre Magique at Cragganmore would make a rage... On the palate, custard, still honey and hay, lots of fruit. At times, it almost seems you are drinking a tart, of those just made by grandma who always says you don't eat enough. A general sense of enveloping warmth, of soft elegance. Alternating between nose and palate is truly a pleasure, to close your eyes and let yourself be carried away. The finish accompanies you for a long time, still pampering you with its sweet fruit, some spices and a very light note of smoke.