Richard-ModernDrinking
Ardbeg Supernova 2019
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
October 2, 2019 (edited January 20, 2021)
Hot on the tail of Ardbeg’s elegant Traigh Bhan comes its evil alien twin, a fresh iteration in the highly peated take-no-prisoners Supernova series. There’s no information on where its peat comes in on the ppm scale, but I clearly remember the 2014 version being so potent you could smell the smoke wafting out of the bottle. The 2015 dialed the smokiness down a notch in favor of a slightly sweeter profile, and it’s that version which appears to set the template here.
Neat, it’s nowhere near as immediately peaty as the last two visitations. There’s camphor and lemongrass, but it’s not grossly out of whack with a typical Ardbeg, and therefore quite lovely. In the mouth, the peat explodes and clings to the side of the tongue on first sip. Once the numbness clears a tangy sweetness emerges, followed by a long slow fade to a treacly finish. An aftertaste of chilli spice keeps you company for a while.
What elevates this whisky from interesting to great is a drop of water. It’s really quite transformative. The aroma of peat is kicked up to a pleasant nasal-decongestant level, even as the anesthetic qualities in the mouth recede in favor of a good balance of pepper, sweetness and tanginess. It’s not too dissimilar to an Octomore - at least those versions that eschew wine casks - though it doesn’t match the best of that series and costs more. Still, I found myself craving another glass. A welcome invasion.
200.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@Richard-ModernDrinking - excellent review! This one will be on my radar.
@PBMichiganWolverine Haha..ah I still can't believe Trump's in power.. that and Brexit make interesting social experiments..just sit back grab some popcorn and watch real life be crazier and more interesting then any movie!
@Soba45 yup, you’re right. Just like Mexico will pay for the wall ( check is in the mail), Brexit will work out just fine, and Hong Kong protests will turn into a big peace rally with candlelight vigils. 😔
@PBMichiganWolverine Hang on you aren't paying the tax, the Chinese are aren't they? haha
@Soba45 at some point, I hope our leaders realize that the tariffs might make the the other country lose sales, but’s it’s a pyhrric victory...it’s simply a tax to us
@Richard-ModernDrinking @PBMichiganWolverine Ah I feel your pain. On the plus side reduced US demand will hopefully mean more and better stock here in NZ. Laphroaig Cairdeas you will be mine!
@Richard-ModernDrinking yeah, you’re right...momentary lapse. Eggs, milk, bread, butter, whisky...simple staples of life
@PBMichiganWolverine Discretionary? Have you taken leave of your senses?
@Richard-ModernDrinking well, I guess the silver lining is that, unlike tariffs on steel and consumer staples, this is discretionary.
It’s in response to the WTO ruling that the EU has been unfairly subsidizing Airbus. They are also expected to make a similar ruling about the US and Boeing, so who knows where this will end.
Is that the UK side or US messing up things ?
@PBMichiganWolverine They’re both lovely but this is better value, just by virtue of being significantly cheaper.
Talking of invaders, this one breached the borders of the US just before news that the government will impose a 25% tariff on imports of single malt Scotch. Time to stock up, folks.
Between this and that Traigh, which did you prefer?