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Ardbeg Supernova

A Genuine surprise. Can Ardbeg do no wrong?

0 2100

@benellefsenReview by @benellefsen

16th Oct 2009

0

Ardbeg Supernova
  • Nose
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  • Taste
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  • Finish
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  • Balance
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  • Overall
    100

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Nose - slight new-make spirit, but well-integrated with it. There's a huge number of Tequila-esque notes in here. Good Tequila though - Blue Agave, nothing less. Toffee crisp.

Palate - Huge. The peat attack is definitely not as aggressive as I'd expected, in fact it's rather well balanced and integrated with the rest of the palate (!). The big surprise here though is the absolutely huge fruitiness that explodes on the palate. It's tropical fruit, very zingy, tangy, fresh. Mango, Papaya, perhaps a touch of over-ripe Pineapple. The peat ducks and dives with the skill and deftness of a featherweight boxer.

Finish - The peat comes out to play again. A good deal of red chilli, the fruit from the palate recedes in favour of a barley and cocoa-rich finish. Some definite infulence here from the new French oak casks right at the end.

So much more than I was expecting. Scotch Whisky of the year, Jim?

Yep, I'd go with that.

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2 comments

@jdcook
jdcook commented

The supernova is a bit polarising - some people think it is terrible (@johnoftheyard is amongst them), and others think it is very nicely balanced (mine tastes very smooth and balanced to me). It almost makes me wonder if there were two different batches of it.

15 years ago 0

@benellefsen
benellefsen commented

I was personally assured by Davinia Small (UK Brand Ambassador for Ardbeg) that there aren't.

It's really strange, because I tasted a sample at whisky live, and really hated it - I think it's entirely possible that it's all down to what you've been tasting before...

15 years ago 0