Ardbeg 1994 Private Bottling
| Category | SINGLE MALT |
| Distillery | Ardbeg |
| Bottler | Distillery Bottling |
| Bottling Series | - |
| Vintage | 1994 |
| Bottled Year | 2017 |
| Age | 23년 |
| Cask Type | Sherry Hogshead |
| Cask Number | - |
| Bottles Released | - |
| ABV | 56.0% |
| Volume | 700 ml |
| Label | - |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Islay |
Flavor Profile
Tasting Notes
밝은 금빛이 잔 안에서 맑게 빛난다. 아일라 아드벡이 1994년 증류돼 셰리 호그스헤드에서 23년을 머물고 56도로 담긴 프라이빗 보틀링이다. 코에는 자몽과 시트론, 젖은 백묵과 석회암의 광물성이 서늘하게 어우러진다. 뒤이어 건초와 옅은 농장 내음, 상쾌한 허브가 겹친다. 입에서는 초록 후추와 쌉쌀한 코코아, 강한 감초와 허브 리큐어가 메마른 결로 번진다. 오래된 몰트다운 절제된 드라이함이 아드벡의 피트를 진중하게 감싼다. 여운은 가루처럼 마른 향신료와 옅은 캐러멜이 길게 남는다.
AITasting Notes
Colour
gold
air Nose
oh, now we’re on another planet. We do have these very fruity, but slightly austere notes (I got that in an old Cadenhead dumpy), like grapefruit again, citron, rubbed orange peel and then something very nicely mineral (austerity again!) Wet chalk, limestone, hints of moist plaster, gin… And then it gets quite farmy, with something peaty, hay, ‘clean’ horse dung – and also lots of herbs such as chive, fresh coriander, parsley. Hints of chocolate as well. Frankly, it’s a superb nose, beautifully balanced and with lots of presence. Very, very ‘serious’. An anti-made up malt?
restaurant Palate
it’s very coherent, but maybe it’s a little too austere now. Quite some tannins right from the start, green pepper, flour, bitter chocolate powder… A certain lack of sweetness, like in many very old malts. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easily bearable but you really have to love dryness. The malt gets then grassy and vegetal, rather bitter, peppery, with notes of ultra-strong liquorice and strong herb liqueur (it reminds me of Underberg, do you know that?) And then, good news we do have a little sweetness coming through (a little caramel, apple juice). But the whole remains quite drying, just like the medium long, but very ‘powdery’ finish. Very, very serious stuff indeed! The nose was absolutely great but maybe the palate is a bit tired… It still deserves 87 points , that is. Ah yes, music… Something rough, ‘ancient’ and ‘dry’ but still rather ‘easy’, like, yes, Steve Coleman’s ‘Transits’ (on ‘Myths, Modes And Means’) MUSIC – Recommended listening - Let's have a little African music, shall we? Today it's Kenya's superb singer Suzanna Owi yo who does Kisumu 100.mp3 . And it's excellently produced! Please support all African artists... March 20, 2006 TASTING - TWO ARDBEGS (again...) Ardbeg ‘Still Young’ (56.2%, OB, 2006) This one has been already vatted but not bottled. I didn’t like the ‘Very Young’ too much (79), I thought it was much too simple and rough but many aficionados loved it. So, let’s see how these first 1998 ‘Glenmo’ batches behave after one more year in their casks