Ardbeg An Oa
Nose: Old
newspapers burning on a peat fuelled bonfire – pencil shavings - dried seaweed
– samphire – caramelized fennel fronds - Maldon sea salt – lemon peel - pink
grapefruit zest – sugared almonds – Fry’s Chocolate Cream bar – orange oil –
tobacco leaves – fresh ginger and garish grounds of black pepper.
Palate: A
pleasurable palatable pounding of peat - Cafe Creme cigars – sherbet lemons – Waitrose
treacle tart – Cadbury Crunchie bar – toasted granary bread smeared with Rose’s
lime marmalade – cloves – paprika – black and pink peppercorns - Lapsang Souchong
tea – charred oak and the tiniest tease of something subtlety menthol.
Finish: A fabulously
feisty, smoky and spiced, long lunge-ette of a finish.
Summary: Ticking
all those signature Ardbegian boxes, this latest release is noticeably younger
to the brands epic 10 Year Old bottling (not in a bad way) but it makes for a
superbly sassy addition to the Ardbeg core range.
