Ardbeg Perpetuum

I love the Laphroaig Cairdeas series. I love Ardbeg 10, Corry, and Ugi. So it only makes sense that I'd venture into the Ardbeg annual-release series, which is their Cairdeas equivalent. I jumped at this one because it's a 2015 release; naturally it's become quite exclusive and thus worth an immediate buy. Let's check it out. Nose: Heavy brine and campfire smoke and ash. Iodine and sea salt. Brine and peat smoke dominate this one. There's a sweet custard note. Beyond that are heavy lemon and grapefruit citrus notes. Vanilla, honey, and butterscotch, and black pepper. A nice combination of peat, brine, citrus, sweetness, and just a little spice. Liking it so far. Palate: Nice campfire smoke, iodine, band-aid, briny sea salt, seaweed, and ash. Citrus bomb: Lemon and grapefruit, again, now with lime. Meaty ham/pork note. Vanilla, butterscotch, honey, and toffee. Some milk chocolate. Not a hint of spice or ABV. Finish: More of the smoke and salt. A spice kick of oak, cinnamon, and black pepper hits hard once the smoke passes. As the spice fades, I pick up milk chocolate and hazelnut. Then, as the moderate-long finish fades, I'm hit with one last puff of tobacco smoke. Interesting finish. 4.0 stars. Well above average, not quite enough to be considered a standout. For the $85 I paid, it's worthwhile change of pace from the standard Ardbeg releases.If you're thinking about paying secondary prices to get this one, well, stop thinking about it. The nose is great, the rest is very good. I cut this one some slack since it's not egregiously overpriced like many of the other one-off releases. There's a lot to like here, and I think this is a great embodiment of both Ardbeg and Islay character. At any rate, I'm glad I was able to nab one of these so late in the game.

Great with peppercorn

very sweet vanilla start and finishes soft with a lot of peat that lingers