Ardbeg Galileo

The famous Ardbeg Gallileo, the whisky who fooled everyone. If you don't know the story behind this whisky, let me tell you it is a fake but amazing one. It seems that somehow Ardbeg Marketing departments or something like that made sure, via unofficial websites and social networks, that a small part of this whisky had gone to space.... Yes, that is right, the myth was that a cask of whisky was sent to space in a shuttle to the international space station, and it matured for a little period and this was a scientific test to find out how whisky matured outside the planet earth. This of course did not happen, and Ardbeg limited to officially say that Ardbeg Gallileo is a tribute to a scientific discover of a space-related issue. Ok, now lets talk about the whisky. Bottled at 49%abv, and it has an age statement. It says distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2012. The whole label is misterious enough with a Rocket and the 1999 year all over it. Beautiful bottle though. It has been matured in ex bourbon barrels and finished in sicilian marsala red wine casks. On the nose, Lemon, Pear, very Acid-kind of aromas, there is your typical Ardbeg peat; Very Perfumed peat. Grapefruit, Vanilla and Toffee. On the palate, it is super smooth. Red fruits for a second, probably from the wine casks, then peat. Vanilla and Lemon also present. Finish has a burnt tobacco and peppery note. This is a very balanced whisky. Overall this is a great dram, a very collectible bottle, but it feels that it can be a little better in every aspect. Lovely but for the price, Uigeadail is a better option. 88/100

The color is a rich gold and it clings to the glass while slowly dripping down. The nose is very peat forward and has straw, ripe fruit, brine, campfire smoke and leather. The palate is rich and mouth coating with plenty of peat, along with the straw, strong campfire smoke, some brine and the slightest hint of the fruit. The finish is long with peat that never seems to go away, with straw and brine that gently linger and fade.

Oddly, it's an enjoyable bottle, but not my favorite from the series for precisely a reason which, in other bottles, would be a revered prize: it's almost perfectly balanced! In fact, it's TOO balanced. Most Ardbeg bottles have an aggressive flavor strain running through them, be it a strident ash-heap, engine char, campfire smoke (Ardbog); a musty, mushroom and cottage cheese laden funk (Supernova); a kale and seaweed-forward vegetable medley (Kelpie); or some other assertive bent. Galileo has almost all of those, but they have a fair degree of self-restraint...there just isn't a punch like the others from the series. What does make the bottle rather enjoyable, and a standout among Ardbegs, is the number of unique taste notes it contains: the nose has medicinal and Band-Aid characteristics to be sure, but a surprising amount of citrus in it as well, such as orange rind, marmalade, white grapes, banana (not so much clove), and a bit of grass, which give way to more malt-forward notes such as nugget, butterscotch, and meringue. These are present in other Ardbegs, but Galileo does play a better host than other releases. Still, the showing just doesn't provide the in-your-face flavor showcase I have come to expect from Islay's most edgy distillery. The nose is the most fulfilling part. Palate thins a bit, with a mild pepper and ash finishing off into a medium, oily slightly drying finish which, regrettably, is again rather thin (in distinction to drams like Uigeadail where it goes on for days). There's a bit of solvent, pencil eraser, bubble gum, and perhaps brown sugar, but it's over too soon. Good, though not a standout Ardbeg. Still, it's better than most things gracing the shelves.

Light, if you can call a heavily peated ardbeg. No bite, silky and maybe even a bit creamy with a dash of sweetness

I drank this while on a tour of Ardbeg. It was amazing! I would have bought it if they had any to sell. Now, I had several whiskies that day, but this one was a highlight.