Oh man - these '70s Ardbegs are the tip of Islay Mountain. Hard to beat - this one also plays in a very different whisky league. It's a shame that there will not be such drops in the future. Nose Old! Aromatic smoke from a long forgotten time, furniture polish, sour coffee beans, fruit cake (old and dried up), leather and beach-washed wood, but the old notes add some citrus and a salty sea breeze. But it dominates the wood - bitter oak is very present. He has so much to offer and if you like old wood in combination with sherry and smoke (who does not) experienced here his dream nose. Taste Oh, that's soft. Much sherry sweetness and creaminess, the smoke is there but discreet. With lemon, salt and licorice. Smoke is slowly becoming more dominant - burnt herbs and slightly phenolic. The leather note comes again. Great development but without the big surprise. Still damn good and profound. Finish Warming smoke. Raisins and fruity - semi-dry sherry sweetness, lots of chocolate and oak (but surprisingly discreet in the bitterness), even the licorice note is only weak there. Very long. The warming smoke does not want to go away.

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