- Raided Score: 91
- Publication: WhiskyCast
- Excerpt: The finish is tart and spicy with that same lemon custard note along with peat smoke and hints of brine and smoked salmon.
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- Raided Score: 91
- Publication: whiskyfun
- Excerpt: a great half-surprise. We’ve had some superb 19921-1994 Ardbegs in the past, and we’ve had some lousy ones as well. This new one certainly belongs to the former category. Me ve-ry hap-py.
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- Raided Score: 88
- Publication: The Whiskey Jug
- Excerpt: Good, enjoyable and robust, but not as deep or dynamic as some of what we’ve had tonight.
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- Raided Score: 87
- Publication: Distiller
- Excerpt: The palate is smokier and peppery, with a hint of mint, and sweetness provided by vanilla and marzipan. The oily mouthfeel is a nice plus.
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- Raided Score: 88
- Publication: Whiskey Raiders
- Excerpt: It’s complex, nuanced and delicious. We haven’t always gotten these things in some past limited releases (ahem, Kelpie).
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- Raided Score: 89
- Publication: Whiskey Advocate
- Excerpt: The palate is initially peppery, then vanilla and green apples emerge, along with aniseed and rich peat.
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.
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Intro:
This is a 2017 release of 21 year old Ardbeg spirit - it is non chill filtered and released at 46% after spending its life maturing in ex-bourbon casks. There is no mention of coloring in Ardbegs site or documentation. Lets dive in.
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Nose:
Buttercream, lemon-lime soda. Toffee, ashy smoke. Tar, pepper, burning wood. Lemon meringue, floral essence, faint rubber. Overall, its very sweet, mildly fruity and has a nice peat / smoke component that balances nicely.
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Taste:
Medium mouthfeel, vanilla. Super sweet. No heat. Lemon meringue, oak, pepper, tobacco. Whipped cream. Ashy, coal tar, burning wood and some faint rubber. Its not astringent, however, and the peat and the sweet notes blend really nicely.
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Finish:
Long, but mild. No heat. No astringency. Sweet and ashy, lots of sweet cream to pair with a woody, ashy peat.
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Overall:
Its very complex and I like it quite a bit. I wish dearly we would see these releases at cask strength, but I have to admit, Im surprised by how much I like this. Its complex, nuanced and delicious.
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Score:
7
- Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources
