Ardbeg Kildalton 1981

Imagine tasting an old Ardbeg, but one so rare there was never a full bottle released of this expression. This is the case of Ardbeg's Kildalton 1981, a single malt that only reached the markets as a miniature. You have to understand that in that exact year, Ardbeg was mothballed for the first time and was reopened in 1989. Actually Ardbeg did release a 1980 Kildalton full bottle, but this 1981, a different expression, was only bottled in 5cl miniatures. To make things even crazier, this bottling happened in 2005, making this a 24yo whisky. It appeared in a rare miniature collection pack called "The Story of Peat". It comes at 52.6%abv, and of course, i drank it. On the nose, it starts mossy and swampy. Then out of nowhere, an INCREDIBLE COFFEE BEANS AND DARK CHOCOLATE aroma appeared. Yes, in Caps Lock. Inmense chocolate; Very Salty all of a sudden; Ecuadorian dark chocolate, it is the most accurate aroma note ever. Vanilla topping. On the palate, this is exquisite. Herbal, mossy, swampy, super spicy black pepper, gunpowder, grapefruits. Very powerful, lots of character. This is a swamp monster. SO POWERFUL! UNLIMITED POWER!!! (Caps lock again), Meringue. Aftertaste is perfect in every way. Smoky, salty, bonfire, gunpowder. Incredible. There is a second aftertaste 30 seconds later, which is full of salt and ashes. Amazing, super long. Overall, this is a true lost jewel. It can be found in miniature auctions, i have seen it quite a few times, but it never called my attention. After i had the Ardbeg Kildalton 2014, i decided to buy it, and then after tasting it i found out of its great history. An absolutely amazing dram on the nose, palate, aftertaste and balance, with the aggregate of a great story behind it, my score for it is 98 over 100, and i am wondering why i deducted 2 points.