pkingmartin
Ardbeg 15 Year Chieftain's (Ian MacLeod)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
August 7, 2020 (edited December 8, 2021)
This is a bottle I’ve been waiting to try for months. It was a K and L exclusive that my brother brought and hid at my parents house for my visit in April. Then the freaking coronavirus pandemic crushed my travel plans and so it rested hidden in a fireplace in the basement for months before I finally got a chance to get there and pull it out of the Santa bag waiting on me to try.
I came in with high hopes on this one and being an avid Ardbeg fan it was a lot to ask. This is a single cask 15 year Ardbeg at 58 percent but as soon as you smell it you get a big hit of peat.
This is complex, I get salted caramel apple pie with rich vanilla ice cream on top, cinnamon, candied maple bacon and the mouthfeel is the most viscous I’ve ever had. It makes Compass Box Tobias and Flaming Heart taste watery in comparison, they aren’t but that’s just how oily this is. The finish stays with you for almost 20 minutes. An epic whiskey worth the wait.
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@ContemplativeFox Yeah it’s been a heck of a journey and hopefully the best drams are yet to come. Cheers!
Wow, I have zero recollection of reading your tasting of this before. And yet somehow this is when we started trading samples. It's been a great journey so far; here's to an even better continuation :)
@jdriip Ha, yeah. It’s become a shared passion to bond over, but bottles have a tendency to disappear quickly once opened.
Sounds fantastic
@pkingmartin I love that your brother had to hide it in the fireplace. Your family must really love whiskey.
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington Ha, maybe but this one seems polarizing.
That rich, coating everlasting finish is legit. Sadly this one overpowered my tastebuds. I reserved a small pour to give it a second shot and who knows, I could flip around and adore it
Thanks, I'd love to try it @pkingmartin and I'd be happy to send you a few samples from my collection too :) My email is [email protected]
@ContemplativeFox let me know if you would want a sample of it? I could use another’s opinion on this one and a few others.
What a great gift! And such a rare find at that :)