Ardbeg 1974 signatory Distilled 22.3.1974, bottled 6.4. 1998, Casks 662 & 1034

Color: Golden hay.

Nose: I know Olden days Ardbegs are not as peaty and biting as nowadays Ardbegs, So i was not expecting a peat blast, ok? It’s not a 2009 corryvreckan, but some peat is to be expected, right?

Well, peat , but gentle due to the age i assume, and the 1974 profile... some fruity notes as well : i am getting some wee pears and apples mélange, a bit like a German schnapps , no sugar added. some damp wood, and very gentle sea spray feeling going on. nice combo, classy stuff.

Palate: Explosion of peat and smoke on the tongue. what a blast. was not expecting it from the 'laid back ' nose. I’d say it’s less sugary and sweet than recent Ardbegs, and even though the impact on the palate was surprising, it’s nothing like today’s peat monsters from Ardbeg. this is much more well- behaved, sort of spirit. Some hints of fruit also here (Pear / Apricot) , to make it even more entertaining and complex.

Finish : Lingering Ashy,smoky. very very nice, bitter as a memory of a now smoked cigar, cold in the Ashtray..

A very different and mellower Ardbeg, but not a wimp at all. complex, fruity and peaty that delivers all i was expecting of it. I’d love to get my hands on a bottle of this… Excellent stuff.

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