This Ardbeg 1993 seems to be the first Ardbeg bottled by Duncan Taylor (let me know if you know another one).
Ardbeg 15 yo 1993 (58,9%, Duncan Taylor 2009, cask #1724, 292 btl.)
Nose: nice combo of heavy smoke notes and floral elements. Soot and coal with a few farmy notes (stronger when you add water). Heavy peat. Brunt heather. A few marine notes (brine, tarry rope). Rough like most official Ardbegs lately and a little mono-dimensional. Mouth: oily, very very peaty, dry and ashy. Sea brine and lemon. Rather grassy as well. An independent Supernova, so it seems. A little sweeter in the aftertaste, especially when you add water. Finish: long, peaty, fading on salty liquorice.
Intense Ardbeg. Recommended for those who liked the Supernova and are looking for a single cask variation on the theme. Don’t expect major complexity though. Around € 95 at the time. Now sold out.
Score: 85/100
This blog is my personal collection of impressions, written while searching for the ultimate single malt whisky.
