Ardbeg Scorch Ardbeg Day 2021 Committee Release

Rating35.8/40
OriginScotland, Islay, South Shore
DistilleryArdbeg
OwnerLVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE via Glenmorangie
SeriesArdbeg Day Committee Release
EditionScorch
StyleSingle Malt
PeatedYes
CaskHeavily Charred Ex-Bourbon
BottledJanuary 2021
Strength51.7% (103.4 Proof)
WhiskybaseWhiskybase

Matured in heavily charred Ex-Bourbon casks and bottled for Ardbeg Day 2021 this is Ardbeg’s latest Committee Release and it is one hell of a unique and interesting experience. Every year these bottles are gone in seconds and by day 2 what’s left in stores fetches double or triple the MSRP. But they’re almost always worth the trouble. Looking forward to comparing it to the bottle strength version soon to be released more widely during the time of Feis Ile 2021.

Nose: When you burn food until there’s splintery bits so charred you can’t tell if they once were food or just wood. Something acidic… like a lemon and vanilla glaze underneath. Almost metallic eventually. Later sweeter notes emerge that ever so slowly evolve into bulging, fuzzy, warm, peaty… blood orange juice poured over a mix of slices from ripe and not so ripe bananas. Does this thing ever stop changing? Between the experience of nosing this whisky straight out of a freshly opened bottle and the experience of nosing it out of one that had a chance to breathe lies a vast and inexplicable chasm. And yet the two are closely related. (9.0/10)

Palate: A large piece of sheet metal, coated with lacquer made from charred wood and ashes, slices horizontally through the palate, leaving nothing alive in its path, heading straight for the back of the throat. Deliberate chewing of subsequent sips awakens flavor in the front but this whisky is not one willing to expand vertically. All moisture has disappeared from my mouth. Lost I wander across the bitter ashes of the tortured plains leading up to the Morannon. (8.3/10)

Finish: The finish lives almost entirely on the air flowing in and out of my lungs. On each breath out, charred embers light up brightly, emitting sharp, acidic smoke. Breathe carefully… this one will make you cough. A drop of water proves to be the magic key. Suddenly the missing dimension of expansion appears and the finish begins to fill the skull. Countless additional notes and flavors appear to create a much more dense, complex and deep experience than one would have expected from first impressions. And, mind you, a much more lasting one too. The staying power of this finish is astonishing. (9.7/10)

Balance: Without water this is the mystical experience of a lifeless, burnt desert covered with the charred traces of a terrible wildfire. With water this becomes an intense, smoldering, smoke-laden alcoholic tea extracted from those very remnants. This is a difficult one to grasp. It’s both very Ardbeg and not Ardbeg at all. Fresh out of an unopened bottle it is almost a bit unfriendly and unwilling to explain itself. Give this a good amount of time and one tiny drop of water. It will turn into a great friend to have a long conversation with. If you don’t make the effort, I’m afraid, you’ll soon forget almost all about this one and move on to lesser drams. The greatest weakness of this whisky, such as it has one, is most certainly its palate. But since the finish almost serves as a palate-like experience this imperfection can be forgiven. (8.8/10)

Amrut Cask Strength Batch #88, 2018

Rating34.3/40
OriginIndia
DistilleryAmrut
OwnerN.R. Jagdale Group
SeriesCask Strength
Batch#88
StyleSingle Malt
Bottled2018
Strength61.8% (123.6 Proof)
Wine SearcherWine Searcher

Amrut’s 88th batch of their NAS cask strength series hits hard at 61.8% ABV and, at first, it is not all that pleasant. It shows up like some friend’s uninvited acquaintance, loud, obnoxious and abrasive. But, given enough time, it relaxes significantly and turns into a welcome addition to the party.

Nose: Vanilla infused wood decaying in a damp forest. Some burnt toasted rye bread. Later a bowl of translucent chocolate pudding rises from the depths. It really is oddly dry for something birthed in such a moist arboreal environment. (8.1/10)

Palate: Musty tree bark, lichen-infused coffee grounds and some dog hair stuck to a dried up old chocolate bar that got lost under the sofa somehow. (8.9/10)

Finish: A deep, comforting warmth unfolds and spreads quite quickly until it fills out the entire chest cavity. Remnants of old bits of wood and bark and chocolate dust remain on the desiccated palate, slowly adding up to hints of dried shiitake and porcini mushrooms. (8.6/10)

Balance: This really, seriously, not kidding, requires a good amount of time in the glass. Give it an hour or so to relax and air out its grievances. It’s a bit rough and bumpy right out of the bottle but, if you have the patience to wait, it’ll slowly evolve into a glorious old mess of decay and natural flavors and scents as if your are digging with bare hands through the wet leaf-covered floor of an autumnal forest foraging for wild mushrooms. (8.7/10)

Old Pulteney SMWS 52.25 “A morning at the beach”, 11yo, 2007

Rating34/40
OriginScotland, Northern Highlands
DistilleryOld Pulteney
OwnerThaiBev via InterBev via Inver House Distillers
DistilledMarch 21st, 2007
BottlerScotch Malt Whisky Society
Edition52.25
StyleSingle Barrel Single Malt
CaskRefill Hogshead/Ex-Bourbon
Bottles240
Strength60.3% (120.6 Proof)
RetailerScotch Malt Whisky Society
WhiskybaseWhiskybase

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s 25th bottling of a potent single barrel single malt from Old Pulteney located up in the northern Highlands.

Nose: Wait… is this a Bruichladdich? It feels like I’m experiencing those same typical buttery notes of raw cake batter that I’ve always loved about the Islay distillery’s output. Myriads of tiny citrus-flavored lightning strikes burst forth from that misleading doughy mass, skittering about and leaving hints of caramelized brown sugar in their wake. This is very nice! (8.5/10)

Palate: The first sip skips right past the front of the tongue and gathers as a light and sweet vegetable broth in my cheeks. Leeks? Subsequent sips remain quiet in the front except for a noticeable oily coating that’s building up there. (8.5/10)

Finish: Faint hints of gather in the back of the mouth… perhaps some of the veggies used for the stock were roasted? Mostly, though, there is a salty residue on the tongue and a deep warmth in my chest. Quite lovely. This whisky is surprisingly quiet given it’s high-powered ABV but it definitely works for me. (8.5/10)

Balance: It’s a strange thing to say but this whisky is oddly convincing in its lack of pronounced flavors. I am surprised at how much I like this. It’s not exactly aligned with my usual preferences which I will freely admit, lean somewhat toward the bombastic. Either way, it’s always great to have a different kind of rewarding experience! (8.5/10)

Yamazaki, 12yo

Rating32.5/40
OriginJapan
DistilleryYamazaki
OwnerSuntory Holdings via Beam Suntory
StyleSingle Malt
Strength43% (86 Proof)
WhiskybaseWhiskybase

Thanks to a bottle donation there was suddenly this rare opportunity to once again try this classic Japanese 12 year old single malt from Osaka’s Yamazaki distillery. Like many age statement release from Japan this one was discontinued a few years ago and bottles have all but disappeared from most shelves. What’s left fetches a rather high price due to increased collectibility.

Nose: Sherry steamed green apples create a nice interplay between sweet and sour/acidic notes. Unfortunately the sherried aspect fades and only the green apples stay. After the first contact with the palate the nose becomes almost undetectable. Still, quite lovely. (8/10)

Palate: This is the very principle of a light and fruity single malt purified almost out of existence at first but then, very slowly, dark planks of oak float up from its depths to bob about on gentle waves. This is very polished and there is not a whole lot of individuality to this whisky but it’s very enjoyable. (8/10)

Finish: A soft, dark, smooth and, surprisingly, very long lasting afterglow that reaches almost to the mid-point of my chest. Rather unexpected for a bottle strength whisky but very welcome. (8.5/10)

Balance: There’s nothing to complain about at all but also nothing that really makes you think. But if you take it own its own very light and gentle terms it actually has quite a bit to offer. (8/10)