Colour: straw. Nose: starts extremely ‘Ardbeg’, right on soot and coal smoke mixed with sea air and soaked grains, and more of that after that, with only hints of vulcanized rubber and antiseptic. Also a little fresh butter and sweet apple (golden) that mellow it down just a little. Fresh apple juice. Hints of metal come through after a while (gunmetal). With water: ever tried to put your head into a coal stove? Err… Other than that, it smells just like ‘the distillery’, or like the kiln at a neighbouring distillery. Mouth (neat): explosive! Huge whisky, less fruity/sweet than expected, except during the two or three first seconds. ‘Green’ bitterness (green tea, chlorophyll gum), capsicum, cumin, cardamom, strong liquorice, Turkish coffee, herbs liqueur (more Underberg here)… Very concentrated and powerful! There’s also a faint sweetness (honeydew) that prevents it from getting maybe a tad bitter and acrid. Rather spectacular and not for the fainthearted, as they say. With water: it does get fruitier now, with more dried apples but the same big smokiness and spiciness are still there on the back of your palate. Smoked cardamom? Finish: long, with more coastal notes, such as oysters. Big peat at the retro-olfaction. Comments: it’s young but it’s more complex than anticipated (feared?) Excellently big.
BOW (88.50)
Tasting Notes by Speciality Drinks Ltd
Cask details;
Distillates from the 1990’s and 2000’s matured in Hogsheads.
The first-ever Ar bottling is a big beast, showing the power that southern Islay is known for. Ar1 makes a statement, and is laden with sweet spice and malty goodness.A deliciously intense sweet peat treat. Fine with water, but you'll get more joy out of it neat.
Nose
Fresh and clean. Sweet and peppery, with soot and spices. Hints of milky natural caramel and smoked cereals and peat. With time, white chocolat & nougat, then becomes grassy and earthy with some bonfire characteristics. Water soothes the peat and lifts the grassy characteristics.
Taste
Honey, then white pepper, cinnamon, chilli powder, coal. Warm and mouthfilling when neat. A very big peat presence, but not overpowering thanks to some lovely sweet, syrupy malt notes. Water seems to make the palate more savoury and emphasises the spices.
Finish
Epic. Very long and warming, with persistant spice, pepper and earthy peat settling in, but also some honey to maintain the balance.
