NV Ardbeg Spectacular (2024 Limited Edition – 46%)
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Tasting Notes
Colour: Sunset Orange Aroma: Curiously perfumed and aromatic, a big top note of fragrant lavender tumbles into vetiver and incense candles. Down below, deeper notes of leather and wax dance alongside a rich almond nuttiness. A splash of water reveals gentle wisps of woodsmoke and damp peat moss. Hints of menthol hurl headlong into rich antique leather. Taste: A viscous mouthfeel bursts forth to introduce a sparkling array of salty, sweet, and savoury flavours. Peat smoke, eucalyptus oil, minty chocolate and toffee mingle with smoked pecans, creosote, and tar. Subtle sweet pear crumble and fudge lurk in the background. Finish: Finally, a long and lingering finale of salted caramel and cooling menthol brings this showstopping spectacle of flavour to a close.
Critic Scores
Whisky Advocate
More reviews and scores
This year’s Ardbeg Day release, using whiskies aged 9-13 years, 35% matured in bourbon barrels and the rest in port casks. A peat blast on the nose, softened by tart and sweet notes of lemon. The palate is peated and spicy, with Golden Delicious apples, honey, cracked pepper, charcoal, candle wax, and light soapiness. The finish is long, with apple, smoke, and honey, ending with subtle pepper spice. Spectacular is aptly named. No. 11 in our Top 20 of 2024.
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About the producer
Ardbeg is one of the most recognisable peated whiskies today. The distillery was instrumental in kickstarting the Islay revival when it reopened in the late 1990s.