Ardbeg TEN Islay Single Malt Whisky 50ml miniature.

Ardbeg TEN Islay Single Malt Whisky 50ml miniature.

Condition: New. Collectors
Fill level: New. In the neck.

Whisky still produced: Yes.
Category: Single Malt.
Distillery: Ardbeg.
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Bottling series: miniature
Bottling Year: 
Stated Age: 10 years old
Cask type: Bourbon Barrel
Strength: 46.0 % Vol.
Size: 50 ml
Colouring: No.
Bottle code: L62329513 85 lots more... PLEASE ASK!
Country Origin: Scotland.
Region: Islay.
Market: Worldwide.

Ardbeg Ten Years Old is revered around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all. Yet it does not flaunt the peat; rather, it gives way to the natural sweetness of the malt to produce a whisky of perfect balance. Named World Whisky of the Year in 2008. Non chill-filtered.

Tasting notes;
Appearance/colour; Light Gold
Nose; A burst of intense smoky fruit escapes into the atmosphere ? peat infused with zesty lemon and lime, wrapped in waxy dark chocolate. Bold menthol and black pepper slice through the sweet smoke followed by tarry ropes and graphite. Savour the aroma of smoked fish and crispy bacon alongside green bell peppers, baked pineapple and pear juice.

Add water and an oceanic minerality brings a breath of cool, briny seaspray. Waxed lemon and lime follows with coal tar soap, beeswax and herby pine woodlands. Toasted vanilla and sizzling cinnamon simmer with warm hazelnut and almond toffee.

Palate; An explosion of crackling peat sets off millions of flavour explosions: peat effervesces with tangy lemon and lime juice, black pepper pops with sizzling cinnamon-spiced toffee. Then comes a wave of brine infused with smooth buttermilk, ripe bananas and currants. Smoke gradually wells up on the palate bringing a mouthful of warm creamy cappuccino and toasted marshmallows. As the taste lengthens and deepens, dry espresso, liquorice root and tarry smoke develop coating the palate with chewy peat oils.

Finish: The finish goes on and on ? long and smoky with tarry espresso, aniseed, toasted almonds and traces of soft barley and fresh pear.

Distillery History:

Since its establishment in 1815, The Ardbeg distillery has been on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride of ownership changes, closures, and reopening. Stability was only achieved relatively recently, when the ailing distillery was purchased in 1997 by industry giants, Glenmorangie. The subsequent years have seen the distillery’s popularity swell, with fans enticed by the signature style of tarry, sooty smoke, balanced against citric sweetness and an oily mouthfeel. While Ardbeg still retains its distinctive personality, it has definitely been influenced by Glenmorangie’s propensity for experimenting with cask finishing, and (dare we say it) NAS expressions.

The 10 Year Old:

Due to distillation at Ardbeg being rather sporadic prior to its resurrection in 1997, there were a few gaps in the stocks available to the new owners. Therefore, it wasn’t until 2000 that a 10-Year-Old joined the range. Knowing these older casks wouldn’t last forever, a series of work-in-progress releases was introduced in 2005, paving the way for an all new 10-Year-Old, solely created under Glenmorangie’s stewardship. The TEN we recognise today properly re-joined the range in 2008 and, for our money, it remains one of the most reliably excellent core range expressions available.

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