Ardbeg Supernova 2015

An intense Islay Whisky from Scotland; The first ever Ardbeg Supernova, & Ardbeg's initial go at producing super peaty whisky! This was created especially for the Ardbeg Committee. It has a peaty & spicy birth, pungent with tar, pipe tobacco, smoked paprika, hints of Parma ham, chili, burning turmeric, toffee apple sweetness, citrus & malt; while a massive life adds intense fiery peat, chipotle chili, fruity sweetness, with hints of top-quality coal tar, citrus, salty butter, sticking plasters, cocoa & big, warming peat. August 2017 / April 2018 / August 2022

A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said, Is what we chiefly need: Pepper and vinegar besides Are very good indeed — Now if you're ready, Oysters dear, We can begin to feed.' Amazing w/ Oysters

헤비피트 그자체..! 순수한 피트가 느껴지고 스모키를 넘어선 쓴맛이 혀끝에 남는 느낌이엇다. 쭉 치고나가는 피트의 맛이 인상적

The nose has nothing like that blast of smoke and peat that the 2019 Supernova has. It smells kind of like watered down malt whiskey - not at all exciting. There's more fruit on the nose than I expect from Ardbeg, though not a ton. There are peat and smoke on the nose here, though nothing like in the 2019 Supernova. The palate is similarly much lighter with a lot of sweetness that doesn really fit - sort of like Oban 14. There's also a lot of gross bread. The fruit comes through with a lot of vanilla and floral notes. There's a decent amount of harshness - more than the 2019 (which was quite smooth), but less than many whiskeys. Really, it's decently smooth. Ultimately, there's a lot of iodine from the peat and that can be a bit overwhelming. It's good, but has flaws. It's completely clear that the 2019 supernova is better. Although this has that sweet layer, the sweet flavors blend together and then get trampled by the peat, smoke, and licorice. There's a ton of peat, which is unfortunately too much. I normally like sweetness, but this sweetness lacks character. The combination of peat and sweetness is unfortunately bland and ill-balanced. There is a bit of meatiness, but this mostly tastes like peat and char. So much iodine. And sweetness too. It's certainly sippable, but I'd pick something else, especially at this price point. Diving deep enough, there is some complexity, but all told it isn't balanced and that's a big problem. I have no idea why people are such big fans. With some water, everything mellows a bit a and the prickly spice becomes more interesting than harsh. Still, the flavor has issues. There isn't even anything awesome that jumps out as a delightful flavor. The water muddies things and the result is not a great whiskey.

Po