Ardbeg 18-year-old TWEx The 10th Anniversary Series
| Category | SINGLE MALT |
| Distillery | Ardbeg |
| Bottler | The Whisky Exchange (TWEx) |
| Bottling Series | - |
| Vintage | - |
| Bottled Year | 2018 |
| Age | 18년 |
| Cask Type | - |
| Cask Number | - |
| Bottles Released | - |
| ABV | 55.9% |
| Volume | 700 ml |
| Label | - |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Islay |
Flavor Profile
Tasting Notes
잔을 흔들어 향을 깨우면 맑은 금빛이 가볍게 출렁인다. 코를 가져가면 아드벡다운 타르와 그을음, 바다 소금이 섞인 진한 피트 연기가 솟구친다. 잔을 다시 기울이면 레몬과 옅은 박하가 더해진다. 한 모금 삼키면 55.9도의 힘이 혀를 휘감고 모닥불 재와 레몬, 후추가 번진다. 18년 숙성이 야성적인 피트에 깊은 결을 더했다. 마지막에는 짭조름한 연기와 시트러스의 산뜻함이 혀 안쪽에 오래 타오르며 옅은 단맛이 뒤따른다.
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