This bottle contains a non-chill filtered whiskey with an original color: the warm amber that flows into the glass is all nature, the result of unspecified aging (looking for it on the net reads from 3 to 15 years!) in barrels that previously contained bourbon and sherry. Being Ardbeg, there is smoke on the nose, but not as aggressive as you would expect: peat, not tarry and sweet, caramelized, with a note of red fruits. I would say the sherry feels, and has tarnished the asphalt typical of the distillery, and with the marine background (we are on Islay, isn't it?) The aromatic palette becomes soft and elegant. And despite exceeding 54%, alcohol accompanies and does not bite. Really, really a beautiful sensation, satisfying. At the first taste, here is the gradation, and how it is: warm, full, but not at all cumbersome. A small miracle. On the palate, the peat is the master, but always with the sweetness to soften the edges: caramel, red fruits, marinades in palates, a pinch of spices ... all oily, compact, structured. Where you could expect a rough distillate, you find yourself with a seductive, caressing whisky, to make you (almost) forget that later you have to drive and maybe it's better not to double it. To let it rest (and it is better to sip it very calmly), the marine note is accentuated, with a hint of medicine that is added in the background: really complex and layered. After that hour spent tasting it, the scents accompany you for a long time, feeling the palate as wrapped in a layer of softened peat and spices.