Ardbeg Fermutation

Nose brine sweet malt and campfire. Pallet SALT Smoke seaweed tire All at once. Finish soft sweet with a lingering brine.

Un nez beaucoup plus sur le pain que le 10 ans, un peu plus fruité aussi (fruits jaunes), mais possède la même explosion cendrée que le 10 cependant, une signature Ardbeg évidente, avec un retour du levain en fin de bouche. Belle comparaison avec le 10 ans fermenté beaucoup moins longtemps mais plus raffiné.

The Nose I find amazing. Floral, bright, with sea water, citrus, and very light peat. Taste of Ardbeg with confusing notes, a little sour, sea water reminding me of Ardbeg Kelpie. Finish dissipates into a salty sour with light peat. Well worth the unique experience, but not enough for me to seek another bottle.

Peatiness lingers a bit - in a good way.

Nose is subtle--some salt, similar to Oban. Also some tartness like a sour mash beer. Body is thin, but the smoky peat really hits you on the finish and lingers for a while. An ok scotch, but kind of disjointed.

This was a sample shared with me by a friend who shelled out the dough. So I won’t talk about the price. Other than to say it’s too damned high. Sadly I don’t see this trend reversing anytime soon. Strong notes of lemon, followed by yoghurt funk and mild peat and smoke. It’s very balanced and easy to drink. Maybe it’s the extra fermentation or 13 years in the cask but the smoke and peat come on slowly and in moderation. Kind of a muted Ardbeg but enjoyable for all that. Since i didn’t buy it I’m giving it a 4. It was enjoyable and I wanted more of it. Not at $200 though. If I’d paid for it I might dock it .25-.5.

More medicinal than the typical Ardbeg, and peat seems more subdued. It's really a pretty average Islay at a much higher than average price. Only worth trying for the curiosity, glad I didn't find a whole bottle.