Ardbeg The Harpy's Tale 13 Year Old Anthology Series 46%

Nose: Very distinctively oily, with touches of extra virgin olive oil, sweet briar wood, aromatic herbs (coriander & sage) and a suggestion of smoked lemon peel. A splash of water releases more oiliness, like linseed oil, a gentle waxiness, and a burst of perfumed, aromatic carbolic soap, and finally, a whiff of crème brulee.

Palate: A soft, oily, mouthcoating texture leads into a rich, sweet, smoky palate, with hints of oak moss, treacle, aniseed lozenges and a lovely, sweet, woody/balsamic flavour. This is then followed by smoked apricots and eucalyptus oil.

Finish: Finally comes a lingering, sweet/smoky aftertaste, with a touch of cumin, cardamon and the merest hint of coconut.

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.

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