Ah, single cask Ardbeg, from the Provenance vintage. Bottled for the Norwegian market.
Ardbeg 31 yo 1974 (51,0%, OB 2005, bourbon cask #2749, 120 btl.)
Nose: trademark soot, charcoal and relatively soft peat. Bacon on the barbeque. Some flax rope. A few rounded notes like blackberries, honey and soft vanilla. Nice. Old cupboards and some leather. A deliciously subtle hint of medicine as well. Great nose, complex and nicely delicate. Mouth: more peat now, more coastal notes as well. A little sharper altogether. Camphor. Zesty lemon. Plenty of oily notes. Smoke. Too bad the honey and roundness seems to be far away now, it could have brought some extra balance. Finish: long on camphory peat and lemon oils.
A lovely nosing Ardbeg with a sharper and seemingly thinner palate. Typical high-quality Ardbeg but not on the same level as the Provenance(s). Around € 900 the last time it appeared on WhiskyAuction. Thanks Geert.
Score: 91/100
This blog is my personal collection of impressions, written while searching for the ultimate single malt whisky.
