Ardbeg Lord of the Isles

Smell peat and leather, pork chops in barbecue. Taste like clover, smoke bacon. Long retrotaste.

- Super Smokey, pretty delicous, sharp at the beggining but smooth to finish

This unicorn was the highlight of an epic Ardbeg tasting in New York this week that included old rarities such as Blasda, Alligator and a distillery-only Perpetuum Committee Edition as well as the just-released Blaack and a 26-year-old cask bottled by Cadenhead. The 2004 edition emerged after 25 years in a sherry cask with a complexity that was hard to fully unpack in the setting, but nevertheless showcased a fascinating range of flavors. The nose is a rich, creamy peat with a hint of menthol. It starts off light in the mouth and then bursts with fruity flavors such as tangerines and pineapple and something akin to cheddar cheese. Tinned fruit syrup makes an appearance before the finish switches to a long tail of cream cheese and a rolling thunderstorm of smoke. This is undoubtably a whisky that would reward quiet contemplation and no doubt reveal many more sides over the course of a bottle. Lord of the Isles is truly one bottle to rule them all.

Drammers Club Pour. 2nd time trying this. Completely different from round 1. Now has notes of Vanilla, Caramel, Chocolate, Citrus, Cherry, Sherry, Raisins, Raspberry, Flowers, Smoke, Vanilla, Almonds, Pineapple, Mint, Cooked Agave, Dill, Grass, Banana, Mango, Coconut, Anise, and Menthol

Tried this at a drammers club event. Has a lot going on with notes of peat, smoke, tropical fruit, floral, caramel, and pepper.