Ardbeg 17 Year Old

Now increasingly hard to find, this expression was introduced in 1997 when The Glenmorangie Company acquired Ardbeg from previous owners, Allied Lyons. At that time, the distillery was emerging from many years of reduced production with long periods of inactivity. This meant that there was only enough stock of aged whisky to keep the Ardbeg 17 Year Old on shelves until 2004, at which point it was discontinued for good. A tantalising glimpse of the spirit from of Scotland’s greatest distilleries at the end of the 20th century.

Tasting Notes:

Nose : The gentlest of peats, yet deep and confident with an enticing sweetness.   With a heady mixture of malts and vanillas. Vaguely salty, yet very complex with a harnessed oak presence. Just a hint of bourbon and an even fainter hint of tangy orange, to widen the spectrum.

Palate : There is a much greater presence of the peat in the taste, than the nose suggests. The smokiness quickly hits the palate then tapers off. That said, the middle shows an excellent chewy malt alongside a touch of cocoa.

Finish : the peat returns and guarantees an enormously long finale. The taste of the malt clings on and hints of liquorice and dry toast are detected. This form of oakiness continues, but never becomes sappy or too dry, as the peat balances this out beautifully.