Distillery/Brand: Ardbeg | Region: Islay | ABV: 40% | Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: 22 | Taste: 21 | Finish: 21 | Balance: 22 | Rating: 86

Review
I’m an auction junkie. It is literally the most irritating habit I have. Every time I’m checking out obscene amounts on various auction sites for bottles that I may or may not really need I promise my self ‘No more!’

That is until I get a reminder email from another auction site letting me know that their auction is going to end pretty soon and that I shouldn’t let any other bidder get the best of me. And it works every time!

Luckily for me, of late, I have developed a certain restraint in the way I bid. I now just put up my maximum bid and hope for the best instead of furiously outbidding my challenger and ending up with an unnecessarily expensive bottle.

This particular Ardbeg is a product of that restraint. I put up, what I thought, was a reasonably underpriced bid and, lo and behold, I was staring at my congratulatory email! Which makes the sluggishness of this indie Ardbeg just a touch easier to accept.

This Connoisseurs Choice Ardbeg has been distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2004 making it nine or ten years old. My sample is from a brand new bottle and served at an extremely weak 40%

Nose: Soft peat. Smoke. Quite understated. Reminds me of the Renaissance. Lime. Salt. Oyster shells. Fishnet. Gets a little sweet now. Vanilla. Some ash. Tar. Quite delicate. Quite farmy. Nice nose. I like it. 22/25

Palate: Light chocolate. Peat. Smoke. Lime. Lemon. Some salt. Much sweeter on the palate even if it feels a little underpowered. Vanilla. Oak. Mild spices. I prefer the nose if you ask me. 21/25

Finish: Musk. Oak. Lime. It’s alright. 21/25

Overall Comments: Do I love it? Certainly not. Did it need at least 6% (if not 10!) more percentage alcohol points? Most certainly! Is it nice to have it on your shelf? Sure, why not? Am I going to stop wasting my money on whisky I don’t really need? I highly doubt it.

Rating: 86