Ardbeg 1991/2014 Directors’ Cut
I’m usually not one for young peated whiskies, they tend to be too overpowering. But old peat can be very, very good indeed, like one of these two Caol Ila’s. In their Directors Cut-range Douglas Laing bottles some of their most exclusive whiskies. This 23 year old indie Ardbeg certainly fits that mold.
Ardbeg 1991/2014 (53,1%, Douglas Laing ‘Directors Cut’, C#10274)
Nose: Some chocolates and plums. And the nose has a bit of a malty aspect. But also some citrus notes, oranges and dark red fruits. There is a hint of smoke, but not at all overpowering, as is to be expected with older peated whiskies.
Taste: Dark bitter chocolate, brown sugar and some spicy pepper. There’s also a sweetness combined with lots of fruit, like mangoes.
Finish: Long smoky finish with lots of tobacco and a tropical fruit twist.
Rating: 89
A very fine, but unusual Ardbeg. As far as peaty whiskies go, this is a very gentle one. I’m happy I got to try this during a previous tweet tasting and I wouldn’t mind having a bottle of this stuff. But let’s be honest, that is never going to happen. At over 600 euro this one is way too expensive.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
Nice review. Was this a complimentary sample, or did you get it in a trade? I think that should be disclosed.
Thanks for your comment. It it stated in the final paragraph that I tasted this whisky during a tweet tasting. That means it was a complimentary sample. Tweet tastings are organized by the industry. If you want to participate you can simply send an email, and if you’re lucky you get picked.