Ardbeg 1975 Natural Strength Bottled 1987 Samaroli

Ardbeg 1999 Galileo 12 Year Old

If anyone wants to know how to build a cult following have them intern with the folks over at Ardbeg. Who would have thought of sending new make spirit up in space? And then releasing an expression commemorating that? Say 'hello' to the Galileo. I would like to say it has a typical Ardbeg nose but it doesn't. I mean it has the trademark peaty...

Score 89/100

Ardbeg SMWS 33.109

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, SMWS for short, bottled this Ardbeg at the age of 11 years in 2011. It came from a refill sherry cask and is their 109th bottling from this distillery already. The whisky is nicknamed ‘Delightful Intensity of Sherry and Smoke’. Let us see if it can live up to that. Wow, what a strong nose! The first thing that...

Score 91/100

Ar2 Elements of Islay

I previously reviewed the Lp1 bottling of Laphroaig - this is the 2nd Elements of Islay bottling I've picked up. Ardbeg is one of the more isolated distilleries, and was actually shut down in the 1980s and only resurrected in 1997 when Glenmorangie acquired it. Elements of Islay is a range of bottlings of Islay malts, each bottle highlighting a...

Score 88/100

Ardbeg 10 Year Old

The last digit of the reviewed bottle's bottle code is unclear, but it is assumed to be 2015, because the bottle was purchased in May 2016. The bottle has been open for 10 weeks and is 85% full Colour: very pale, like pinot grigio Nose; petrol, bitter peat, light smoke, lemon, but not too much, light brine. I like this a lot better than when the...

Score 82/100