SMWS 66.82 Gritty-turned-pretty (Ardmore 17yo) & SMWS 33.136 Halcyon tarfest (Ardbeg 10 Year Old)

SMWS 66.82 Gritty-turned-pretty (Ardmore 17yo)

Region: Highlands

ABV: 57.5%

Price: £155.00 (Auction)

Distilled on the 18th March 1998 and matured for 17 years in a refill ex sherry gorda, this Scotch Malt Whisky Society single cask Ardmore was bottled with an outturn of 606 bottles. 

Nose

Initially on the nose we get cold butter, dried earth, and mulched grass. The alcohol is well integrated. There are also notes of Werther’s Originals, Fudge Fingers, and prunes, alongside Caribbean rum, brown sugar, brioche, and chocolate mousse.

Palate

The palate opens in a much meatier style, with smoked ham, burnt ends, bacon crisps, flat lemonade, burnt coffee, light peat smoke, and blackberries. A medium length finish follows, with pepper spice joining the other notes. The mouthfeel while not terrible is missing just a touch of something.

Nose (with water)

The nose becomes more beefy with dilution, with added charred wood notes. The smoke is more pronounced now, alongside bread dough and sea spray, though overall it felt a bit more interesting before dilution.

Palate (with water)

The meatiness on the palate is reduced with water, and it now leans ashier, with notes of strawberry Chewits coming through strongly on the mid palate. The spice is in better balance and the mouthfeel has held up well. We also find blood orange and dark chocolate joining on the still medium length finish.

Conclusion

There’s some interesting flavours and aromas here, but we were expecting a little more given the age. We always struggle a little to rate Ardmore as we generally don’t gel with the distillery. We’ve no doubt others will enjoy this more but we’re going with a 7.

Score: 7/10

Value

With most these older bottles the question of whether this is value for money is usually one of personal choice.

SMWS 33.136 Halcyon tarfest (Ardbeg 10 Year Old)

Region: Islay

ABV: 57.1%

Price: £250.00 (Auction)

Distilled at Ardbeg on the 18th of April 2008 and bottled in 2018 after 10 years of maturation. Matured in a first fill ex bourbon with an outturn of 231 bottles.

Nose

A little tight on the nose initially, though that could just be neck pour. Early on we get a touch of chlorine and iodine. There is a nice level of sweetness from buttercream, marshmallows, and vanilla cupcakes. We also find antiseptic, seaweed, and TCP, with a hint of cashew nuts appearing in the background. Lime juice and a faint wisp of log fire smoke appear with patience.

Palate

The palate carries over many of the sweeter notes from the nose, marshmallows and vanilla cupcakes in particular. There is also flat lemonade, honey, cherry, plums, lavender, and musk. A peppery spice builds on the medium length finish, almost becoming too much before stopping just short. The peat is softer on the palate, leaning more towards bandages, and ash. The only area where it falls a little short is the mouthfeel.

Nose (with water)

Initially, water has not wildly changed the nose, though those sweeter notes are now more pronounced. With time we find raspberry coulis, dried mango, tar, wet cardboard, and cashew nuts. Behind those notes there is also a good amount of peat. The alcohol remains in good balance.

Palate (with water)

The palate now reminds us more of Laphroaig. We are getting notes of smoked ham, beef shoulder, and vanilla ice cream. The peat has also intensified, while the mouthfeel has improved. There is a touch of roasted coffee bitterness now, and the dram is slightly drier overall. The finish remains medium in length.

Conclusion

Really solid example of an 10 year old cask strength Ardbeg. We’ll admit we might be a touch biased as we love the distillery, but we’re going with a 7.5.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

This was worth it for us, but we appreciate many will find this too expensive.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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