Ardbeg Corryvreckan

I have been longing to try Corryvreckan since I fell under the Islay spell. I finally worked my way down/up the chain from the 10 to Uigeadail and now Corry. It all started on a frigid Sunday while providing unsuccessful support for the NY Giants (Go 2018 NYG!). I pondered it and habing another a few days later. Nosing, smoke/peat, surprisingly was not strongly present, but can still be detected. I let this rest for a fair amount of time, given its strength. Intense yet delicate. Sweet, malty and salty nose exposing toffee, honey, milk chocolate, floral, brine, damp seaweed. To me, painted a tranquil picture of an ocean winters day by a cozy fire. First sip is explosive; hot and spicy from the bottled strength. Successive sips encase the hotness with sweetness. Ash, smoke, cedar, black pepper, brown sugar, black tea roasted nuts, currants, oak (and the kitchen sink) swirl about. Chewy, rich and viscous. An plethora of flavors, more than I can recall from any one whisky. All detectable but not any one more dominant than the other and each coming in and out at various times. A lovely long and lingering finish. Cigar ash, oak, salty mixed nuts, charcoal, touched with some honey, remain. Along with these flavors, a slightly drying palate remains. To really examine and enjoy, water is a must to temper the dram and better expose the whirlpool of flavors. Beautifully complex encompassing a gamut of aromas and flavors: salty, sweet, bitter, ashy, dry. A sipper for contemplative moments. Best enjoyed on a cold winters evening to warm the soul. [Dry Glass: soot and cedar][94/100][$82][Opened: 1/8/17]

A recent Xmas gift. Very seductive in my class of likable. A real virtue tester.

Another masterpiece by Ardbeg. Although I'd give the edge to the Uigeadail, I have to admit that it is a top 5 in my book. Slightly less smoky and meaty, the Corry takes over with incomparable peat. An indispensable piece to have a glimpse of what Islay's malts have to offer.