Richard-ModernDrinking
Ardbeg 21 Year
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
May 28, 2017 (edited April 20, 2019)
What better occasion for finally opening this bottle than my father's 80th birthday, for which I gave him this plus two other bottles that totaled four score years in age. It's a fascinating spin on an Ardbeg, with a light straw color and a floral nose that hints at jasmine on this warm spring night in London. There's a burst of citrusy flavors on the first sip that blossoms into an extraordinarly gusty amount of umami smoke and pepper that belies its age. A grilled mushroom taste lingers for as long as you can wait between sips, amid an abundance of moisture-draining tannins. Interesting more than essential and questionable value at the price, but a worthy reference point for fans of the distillery. For the record, I packaged this with a 50-year-old blend from That Boutiquey Whisky Company and a Bowmore 9 for a gift amounting to 80 years of exceptional malt. There will be many happy returns.
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The 50 is exceptionally complex, very long finish of black forest gateau. One to savour.
How is that 50 from TBWC? I got that too---haven't popped it open yet