Ardbeg Corryvreckan

I opened the bottle, poured some in my glass - n ot much nose to speak of and at first sip (uncut) very aggressive - bites like hell. When I added some water it improved, but not by much. Later in the evening (I had other whiskys around) I returned to it, to find that it has developed somewhat, and had a better experience. At the end of the day the bottle lost a few drams and went back to the cabinet.

A few days later is was "Corry alone" night - no comparison. Still bites, but gets much smoother with water - I needed much more than any single malt I ever tried. Still - not much in the nose. Pallate developed some subdued fruitiness and much less peat than I expect from Ardbeg. Having said that, the peat comes out full tilt in the finish, which is long and amazing - this is where it fully meets my expectations. Another weird observation is that when the glass is empty, the nose is much stronger (and lovely) than when it contains the whisky?!

Overall: For me Corry needs bot some air (much better the second evening - I have now a half bottle and I will leave it for a month before trying again) and plenty of water. It seems to have the capacity for greatness, but I don't like the bite - I would love all the ingredients left to mature together in a cask for another 4-5 years. As is, the best things are the incredible finish and the nose of an empty glass.

One more thing - I wish the lable said what's in it - I would love to know the ages ov various vintages and any pertinent information, just as I can read on a wine bottle it contains 78% Cabarnet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 3% Cabarnet Franc...

Good whisky with an unrealised potential for greatness IMHO!!!

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