Ardbeg 8 Year Old For Discussion 2021 Release 50.8%

Nose: Intense with a burst of charcoal, creosote, tar and treacle toffee, with curious hints of something vegetal, like fennel, celery and green peppers. Once these subside, there are hints of milk chocolate, aniseed and woodsmoke. With a little drop of water, some more herbal notes appear, like fennel, coriander and lavender, along with some characteristic Ardbeg aromatic woodsmoke and a hint of fresh, salty sea spray.

Palate: A distinctively peppery mouthfeel eases into a complex symphony of flavours; treacle toffee, aniseed, salted caramel chocolate, eucalyptus, menthol and briar wood, to name but a few. The ‘tingling’, peppery sensation on the palate continues, with the sweeter flavours giving way to more savoury notes like charcoal, smoked bacon, burnt toast and tar.

Finish: The aftertaste is long and lingering, with a suggestion of peppermint and clove.

This Islay distillery renowned for it’s peaty whiskies was initially documented way back in 1794. In recent years it’s expressions have won esteemed awards like World’s Best Single Malt and World Whisky of the Year to name just a few. The distillery brought out its peatiest whisky to date in 2009 named Supernova.