Ardbeg 17-Year-Old

A little background

Ardbeg 17 Year is a classic Ardbeg – from days of struggle and when Ardbeg didn’t have that cult following. This Ardbeg is a slice of the past. Time traveling back to the days where Ardbeg perhaps were seemingly confused about what they should be doing and how they should be doing it? Perhaps they just made whisky and drank it and never thought about a style?

Glenmorangie took over since then and made Ardbeg a name brand for those who love peat. Ardbeg 17 Year is bottled at 80 proof and will be quite pricey to purchase.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Golden Brown

Nose

You cannot go further from the Ardbeg we know today. You open the bottle and expect a peaty, smokey ‘Mad Max’ type bottle – burnt oil, rubber, fire and peat. You expect a bottle that makes you feel ‘masculine’ yet you crack it open and you smell a floral bouquet of Honey, caramel, brown sugar. This ‘dude looks like a lady’! This ardbeg is weird. Really weird. Where is the peat, the ugly, the beautiful ugliness of peat? It is not there you get yourself ‘gazorpazorp’ – a rick and morty reference of a planet of women where everything works, no one farts and smells …….. like perfume and flowers!

Palate

No oil, No peat, no fire, No rubber – I feel uncomfortable yet I’m slightly …. over excited. Why? This is a slice of history. Floral, fruity and hint of smoke so far away, I’m wondering if it is in my mind. So soft, so delicate.

Finish

The finish is relatively short, the style is not ardbeg as we know it but definitely ‘Ardbeg of old times’. It is short to medium finish, not much oil, not much gusto – it is after all only 80 proof!

In closing

It’s not about whether this bottle is good or not but it is a perspective into Ardbeg. An experience of history, comparatively with new bottlings and the heavily peated expressions we get today . Blind folded, you would never pick it as Ardbeg – more Speyside, or highland. But it is Ardbeg, it WAS Ardbeg.