LeeEvolved
Ardbeg 21 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
December 8, 2016 (edited December 6, 2022)
So, I was finally able to land a bottle of the newest, rare release from Ardbeg by using the online rare and limited program here in Virginia. I've been really excited to try this since reading about it a few months ago. This is the Ardbeg 21 Year. It's a slightly elevated 92 proof and is non-chill filtered with no color added. It's limited to less than 8,300 bottles worldwide and I keep telling myself I got it for a very reasonable $425. I've seen it selling online for between $500-600.
In the Glencairn it's a sparkling, straw yellow and it appears very oily. Upon giving it a swirl it produces a thick oil slick all the way around the glass before returning to the bottom sporting long, thin legs. I've let it rest about 20 minutes and it's still smelling rather one dimensional- vibrant oak. There isn't much peat showing up, but I think that's mainly because of the age. It has started to fade dramatically.
The first sip really coats the tongue and slides into all the corners of your mouth. The signature peat finally appears and actually is quite prominent. Mid-sip it explodes with rye pepper and oak spices. A bit of vanilla cools things until the bit of heat arrives on the finish.
Speaking of finish, it's a leathery rye bite that, despite being kind of short, still feels oily. It's incredibly smooth, no doubt. It's not overly complex, which is another thing I'm assuming gets lost with age and the lack of blending various finishing casks into it like their recent NAS bottlings. It's a peaty, rye bourbon-like single malt. And it's a damn good one.
The story behind this release also adds to the overall experience. These casks were stored away while the distillery was on its last legs and in between owners. Almost lost to antiquity. I'm glad I was able to get my hands on this one and revel in the success that Ardbeg has become while getting a taste from when that really wasn't so. Do yourself a favor and grab a taste or bottle when you see it. It's truly more than just a dram, it's an experience and a testament to perseverance. Cheers, my friends.
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I would donate my left testicle for a dram of this. You guys are QUITE lucky =) (looking and reading from afar with envy).
Tempting. I managed to get a bottle. Now I just need the courage to open it!
Yes, I probably wouldn't have given it a 5 if it was based on flavor profile alone. I'm assuming that back in the mid-90's they weren't experimenting like they are today (obviously, since they changed hands and shut their doors a couple of times) and they simply used some first fill, rye barrels and put them away long term. The high phenol PPMs and blending in of younger, finishing whisky wasn't in the cards. It's peat, rye and oak and a long rest. I took a bit of a liberty and took rarity, history and experience into account when giving it that 5 star review. But, I felt like it deserved that. Cheers.
Very interesting. I hope you were not too disappointed by the lack of peat on the nose. Age does diminish peat levels quite significantly, and many malt mates tend to be disappointed when tasting older Laphroaigs, Ardbegs etc. I am surprised you gave it a 5-star, given its flaws in the finish and the limited complexity. I hope that we can enjoy more Ardbeg bottlings with higher age statements in the future that don't cost a little fortune...