Hallo bloggers,

Velen (onder wie ikzelf) hebben met de handen in het haar gezeten op maandag 15 februari l.l. om één (of 2) fles(sen) hiervan te bestellen en dan nog op een gecrashte website terecht kwamen, temeer omdat de geruchten de ronde deden dat er slechts een 2 à 3.000 tal zouden gebotteld worden.

Uit onderstaand artikel, gepubliceerd in Whiskyfun.com’ blijkt echter dat er waarschijnlijk veel meer flessen op de markt gebracht worden. Nog te verkrijgen dus in de shop en inloggen als “committee member”.

Ardbeg ‘Rollercoaster’ (57.3%, OB, Committee, vatting of ten vintages, 2010) the last ten years (including some sherry), so it may be a better representation of the current Ardbeg style than a bourbonised single cask or even an ‘age-statement’ version. Not too sure about the outturn, as a good friend of mine said: ‘most are guessing low (2-3000) but I’ve been told 15,000 worldwide‘. If that is true, that would suggest they have used more than just one cask from each vintage. It seems that it’ll be available both from Ardbeg’s website on February 15 and from several US retailers. Colour: straw. Nose: ha, this one starts as kippery as whisky can be! What’s even more striking are the notes of cooked ham that aren’t often to be found in Ardbeg, even young ones. Yet, it doesn’t smell immature despite the slightly raw whiffs of mercurochrome and tincture of iodine. Very funny development on… wait, Absinth? Serious! Also embrocations, dill… Between a pharmacy and an herbalist’s shop. Some pears, sign of youth. The peat isn’t really big, maybe it’ll come out louder with water. With water: changes a lot, now much more on metal polish, soot, linoleum, apple peelings and wet clothes and newspapers. Still no huge peat and no ‘new rubber boots effect’. Mouth (neat): punchy and powerful, much, much peatier, smokier and rougher than the nose suggested. Not exactly ‘Supernova-esque’ but closer to that one than to, say the regular Tens. Something herbal and bitter, artichoke liqueur (I’m sorry), or Fernet-Branca… Stomach bitter? You have to like that – I do. With water: less bitter herbs and more ‘sweet’ ones, aniseed, cider apples, then quite some limejuice and more and more salt. And smoke, of course. Finish: long, salty and earthy, not that far from the old 10 at this point. Notes of gentian spirit as often in youngish Ardbegs (I think!) as well as a little eucalyptus/cough drops. Comments: nose and palate are quite different but what’s sure is that it’s a straight and genuine Ardbeg, especially on the palate. The younger parts (3 to 6yo) do not show off too much, which is probably great news, but it’s obviously not an old Ardbeg. Great work, it must have been tricky to compose such a vatting. SGP:256 (nose) and 369 (palate) – 88 points.

Heb ondertussen toch een bestelling kunnen plaatsen en wacht geduldig (???) de komst van het levenswater af.

Ga ondertussen maar een ander “peatyke” pakken. smiley

Groetjes en SLAINTE !!! smiley

Guido.