Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Batch 1 19 Years Old 46.2% 2000

Distillery	Ardbeg
Bottler	OB
Serie	Small Batch Release
Bottled for
Distilled date	2000
Bottling date	2019
Country	Scotland
Region	Islay
Age	19
Cask Type	American Oak and Oloroso Sherry Casks
Cask Number	Batch TB/01-15.03.00/19.MH
Alcohol percentage	46.2
Volume	0,70
Condition	In original container
Label	Perfect
Stock	0
Volume	0,70
Condition	In original container
Label	Perfect
Stock	0

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (88)

Even if there’s a pretty Diageo-y batch number (Distillers’ Editions), this one’s meant to become a new permanent age-dated Ardbeg, so no need to rush out I suppose. What’s really very strange is that no one would have expected them to have enough stocks of older whisky to do this. Are the stocks of older Scotch malt whisky exhausted or not? Wasn’t that the rationale behind the whole NAS shebang? This is a mix of ex-American wood and oloroso sherry. Colour: white wine. Nose: rather fruitier and lighter than other Ardbegs, but that may be the sherry, not too sure. Other than that, I find it pretty simple, and yet rather perfect. I’d say, preserved pineapple, pink grapefruit, new Wellies, and a few whelks or clams. So natural rubber rather than tar, but the whole works perfectly, even if this is a quatuor da camera rather than a philharmonic orchestra. Mouth: it’s easy, fruitier Ardbeg, with rather more tropical fruits this time, guavas, a little vanilla and even coconut, white chocolate, and then rather smokier and sappier notes, smoked almonds, clams indeed, sweeter lemons, and a subtle rubber. Some vanillin as well, orange blossom… Finish: medium, very soft for Ardbeg, going towards green tea blended with just a little lapsang souchong. Add a wee spoonful of manuka honey and just a few ashes and tannins in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s surprisingly soft and easy -white chocolate in Ardbeg! – but I have to say I enjoy it rather a lot, even if we’re very far from the 1970s. As they say, the the world is divided into two kinds of people, those who’ve tried quite some early-to-mid 1970s Ardbeg, and those who have not.

BOW (88.50)