Ardbeg Lord of The Isles

Yes .. it has been a while though. When it was first available it was in competition to the 17 y/o and the OB Vintages (’75 through ’78) and that was pretty tough company. The pricing wasn’t great either with the LOTI at a stiff premium to those mentioned. I remember it being a full bodied whisky with a complex nose and a well balanced finish. Personally I didn't think it had the solid in your face character of either the original 17 y/o or of the only two of the vintages I was able to try. That being said I still made sure to get a replacement when I emptied my first bottle.

My bottle has a few drams left. It's really smooth and kinda laid-back for an Ardbeg. There's not much peat in there but it does have hints of tarry rope and a bit of smoke. Surprisingly fruity as well. A must-try if you have a chance, but not really worth the price it currently fetches.

I rather enjoyed it overall, very fruity both on the nose (stewed light fruit) and quite tropical on the palette. Having said that I dont think I would be paying the current prices for a bottle.