Ardbeg 1974 Gordon & Macphail - Connoisseurs Choice (Bot. 1991)

DESCRIPTION

A Gordon & Macphail bottling from what many consider to be the last vintage of "old, peaty" Ardbeg, 1974. After this year, a larger proportion of barley from outside the distillery's own malting was used, leading to the closure of the on-site maltings in 1977. Imported by Sestante.

TASTING NOTES (by Whiskyfun.com)

Colour: gold. Nose: oh well... This is fabulous. Unmistakenly Ardbeg, wonderfully peaty, tarry, smoky and ‘maritime’. A fisherman’s boat. Smoked fish and tarry ropes, putty, diesel oil, cold tobacco smoke and smoked oysters. I don’t know if these casks were laying at G&M’s in Elgin but what’s sure is that if it’s the case, distillery character can’t come from the warehouse’s location coz again, this is very ‘Ardbeg’. Oh well... Mouth: sweet and a little rounder than on the nose, but again, there’s a lot of ‘Ardbeg’ character in this. Superb marzipan, smoked fish, resin, cough syrup, kippers and salt. And what a body, at 40% ABV! Finish: I would not have imagined that whisky at 40% would be that long. Comments: great spirit transcends its conditions (wot?) This must have been a bl**dy great cask. SGP:348 - 91 points.

PRODUCT SUMMARY