Angels' Share: Ardbeg Supernova 2010
A couple of weeks ago I launched Angel's Share which you can read about here. Now I'm pleased to announce the second entry in this resource. Following the principles I laid out previously, Ardbeg seems like a 'must have' and no Scottish single malt collection would be complete without one of their classic Islay bottles.
This is the 2010 edition, which follows the well received 2009 bottling which I'll be picking up for completeness in due course. This is a well named bottle with a peating level in excess of 100 parts per million, it is a raging spirit at 58.9% and a limited release. Quite simply the peatiest Ardbeg ever.
Tasting notes from the Ardbeg website:
AROMA
Big and powerful with peaty, earthy and deep herbal notes.
With the first sniff, encounter deep earthy peat oils and crushed black pepper embedded in the darkest chocolate. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into herbal infusions of juniper, elderflower and agave. Tarry ropes and creosote-soaked elm follow with flowering currants, olives and hot chilli peppers.
Swirl water into the glass, and voyage into the unknown with smoky coal tar, an open box of rolling tobacco, peat moss and roasted malt. A barbeque of smoky charcoal rises above the peat moss, softened by camomile, cedar and heather bloom. A blast of brine, white pepper and smoky asparagus escapes into the atmosphere with a spritely display of gooseberries and greengages.
TASTE
Ardbeg challenges the palate with a smoke and salt explosion - hot, sizzling and gristy sensations effervesce and explode on the tongue with a powerful peaty punch. Black and white crushed pepper pop with chilli and chocolate. Chewy sweet rolling tobacco, linseed oil and newly tanned leather roll backwards on a wave of brininess and burst of juicy lime marmalade. Cigar smoke builds up to a crescendo before drying out to bring dark roast earthy coffee, toasted almonds and liquorice root
FINISH
Long, deep and powerful, refusing to fade away – remaining warm and drying with tarry peat, cocoa and chilli.
Sadly it might be a few years till I sample this beast, if at all. There will be another bottle for Angels' Share next week and after that I better start saving up again for a few more ideal bottles I've targeted.
This is the 2010 edition, which follows the well received 2009 bottling which I'll be picking up for completeness in due course. This is a well named bottle with a peating level in excess of 100 parts per million, it is a raging spirit at 58.9% and a limited release. Quite simply the peatiest Ardbeg ever.
Tasting notes from the Ardbeg website:
AROMA
Big and powerful with peaty, earthy and deep herbal notes.
With the first sniff, encounter deep earthy peat oils and crushed black pepper embedded in the darkest chocolate. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into herbal infusions of juniper, elderflower and agave. Tarry ropes and creosote-soaked elm follow with flowering currants, olives and hot chilli peppers.
Swirl water into the glass, and voyage into the unknown with smoky coal tar, an open box of rolling tobacco, peat moss and roasted malt. A barbeque of smoky charcoal rises above the peat moss, softened by camomile, cedar and heather bloom. A blast of brine, white pepper and smoky asparagus escapes into the atmosphere with a spritely display of gooseberries and greengages.
TASTE
Ardbeg challenges the palate with a smoke and salt explosion - hot, sizzling and gristy sensations effervesce and explode on the tongue with a powerful peaty punch. Black and white crushed pepper pop with chilli and chocolate. Chewy sweet rolling tobacco, linseed oil and newly tanned leather roll backwards on a wave of brininess and burst of juicy lime marmalade. Cigar smoke builds up to a crescendo before drying out to bring dark roast earthy coffee, toasted almonds and liquorice root
FINISH
Long, deep and powerful, refusing to fade away – remaining warm and drying with tarry peat, cocoa and chilli.
Sadly it might be a few years till I sample this beast, if at all. There will be another bottle for Angels' Share next week and after that I better start saving up again for a few more ideal bottles I've targeted.
