Three Ardbeg expressions with roots in the 1990s
Before we go on Easther holiday for a week with this blog, we leave you with some interesting releases from the Ardbeg Distillery. You know, when you visit Islay, the place to visit if you want to have a good lunch is actually the Ardbeg Café. They make good food everywhere on the island of course, but here you always have the chance of being greeted by Jackie Thomson. Besides being one the gentlest hostesses in the world, you cannot ever forget she was there back when.
In the late 1990s when Ardbeg got a new leash of life, and started growing from strength to strength into being the cult whisky it is today. We whisky enthusiasts often complain about the numerous, sometimes silly themed, bottles Ardbeg puts onto the market, before cleaning out the shelves and having fun with all these variations. Think of Ardbeg what you will, they will never bore you. Today we are steering clear of these variations, the no age stated bottles with funny names and elaborate cask make-up. We taste an oldie and two twenty somethings. Fasten your seatbelts!
Ardbeg Very Young, vintage 1998, bottled at 58,3 % abv
First things first: Whiskybase entry # 332 so that is a very early one! Distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2004 into 2880 bottles. This was the first instalment in a build-up series towards the first 10 years old Ardbeg since the distillery restarted under new ownership. The other entries were named “Still Young” and “Almost There”, ultimately resulting in “Renaissance”.
Upon Sipping: Ah, young peated whisky, and an Islay malt to be precise. So, lots of seawater, tar, wet rope, rusty iron, and then to the other side of the spectrum … kippers. In general, pristine, clean, wet peat. Earthen tones as if you been digging in the garden all morning with bare hands. The high alcohol makes this a powerhouse unparalleled by anything out there today on Islay, except Staoisha perhaps, dripping from the Bunnahabhain stills. Taking a sip, it is the sea salt that attacks first. Then lemons on the mid-palate. The alcohol is fierce, leaving a dry and smouldering peat note on the tongue after you have swallowed. From memory, I recall that when I first tasted this when it came out, the Ardbeg Very Young had some kind of metallic or iron note. Besides from the smell, I do not pick it up anymore now.
It is extreme stuff, it feels dangerous, and therefor thrilling. I must add, drinking young whisky was looked down on back in the day, when a young whisky was just immature and nothing else. But since then, with the 21st century whisky boom in full bloom, drinking young (peated) whisky from Torabaigh, Lagg, Raasay, Ardnamurchan … you name them, well, it has become more accepted.
With this knowledge and added experience, I have to say I very much like this infant Ardbeg. With water, all becomes a bit more easy to handle and ultimately even some fruit comes out, besides the obvious lemons. A slight floral off-note emerges too, now that we blame fully on the still unpolished nature of this Ardbeg, that is so close to the raw product running from the still.
Word to the Wise: I guess most of my conclusion is wrapped in the tasting note. Exemplary young peated whisky is a thing you have to like. This might well be the trendsetter for young Laphroaig and the Lagavulin 8 years old that would follow years later. Only the Lagavulin could stand in the shadow with its sheer fun in being a young peater.
Score: 85 points.
Ardbeg Twenty One, 21 years old, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Ardbeg matured in ex-bourbon casks. This expression was bottled for Committee Members on 5 May 2016, making this an Ardbeg from 1994/1995 stock. Quite rare stuff. Remember, in those days it was Laphroaig staff doing maintenance runs at Ardbeg.
Upon Sipping: This expression was released one year before the Twenty Something we taste after this. We filled the glasses next to each other, so we can compare. This one opens on a strong maritime and surprisingly peat-forward nose, with a good dose of liquorice, sun-dried rope and pebbles on a beach. Very centred, extremely balanced, and vibrant as a 10 years old. The casks did not rub off any strong vanilla notes, which makes the peaty character shine. Some lemons take the spotlight. On the tongue, those lemons dominate the palate, with some subtle ashes to remind us we are drinking quite rare Islay spirit, made in the latter dark years of the distillery, before new ownership swooped in and set a new course towards the future.
With water, a strong whiff of vanilla yet appears, but still fully mingled with a strong peat signature. The taste on the tongue suffers a little, and I really did not add much H20. A bitter note makes an entrance, and remains on the finish in the form of very strong lemons. This Ardbeg performs best undiluted, which keeps it close to an oily and fishy character.
Word to the Wise: An excellent peated example from Ardbeg, and what it delivers is very much a satisfying experience. It is a very close relative to the regular 10 years old, that is such a high standard to compete with. What I am missing is some added complexity from 11 more years in the casks. I would not be surprised if these casks were very, very refill.
Score: 89 points.
Ardbeg Twenty Something, 23 years old, bottled at 46,3 % abv
First things first: Ardbeg matured in ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks. This Ardbeg was bottled for Committee Members on 23 August 2017, making this more or less a 1993/1994 vintage Ardbeg.
Upon Sipping: Compared to the Twenty One, the sherry casks obviously add a complexity. Some smoked red fruits and sweetened cigar leaves. There is some tar lurking in the distance, like this road was paved already a few days ago, and not just yesterday. Balance is key and this expression delivers as good as the Twenty One. The taste is much more fierce than the straight up bourbon matured version, with hints of rubber and some hotness. Did not know 0,3 extra abv could make such a difference! The smokiness mostly lingers on the finish, and it is indeed smoke and less easily described as peat.
With water, the complexity grows enormously. Deeper fruits but now the ashtray is on the table too. Yeah, this is what I mean, this is the reward you desire from a whisky that has aged 20+ years. That drop of water makes for a softer palate that still delivers a strong peated backbone. Dark chocolate by the fireplace. The cask management is a contrast with what the new owners would do with Ardbeg after 1997. It seems to impart a more oily experience. In the end, a fishy note does bring it closer to the Twenty One.
Word to the Wise: Nostalgic Ardbeg from some kind of interbellum period where the past was gone, but the future not clear. Somehow, an honest soul has crept into the bottle, into the glass. So, maybe not only nostalgic, but even melancholic.
Score: 91 points.
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