Taster

Nose: Dry, amazingly intense. Incredibly concentrated aromas: tarry rope, peat oil, lanolin, red herrings dangling from hooks in the smokehouse. Huge.

Palate: Sweet, concentrated, pent-up start. Then lime, lanolin, coal tar soap and all those weird aromas.

Finish: Bone dry.

Comment: For true believers only. The most intense, full-on Ardbeg I've ever come across.

Score: 7.8

Taster

Nose: Rich, soft, oily, smokiness. Very appetising.

Palate: A dexterous interplay of grassy peatiness; oiliness; just lurking suggestions of lemony fruitiness, sherry and oak.

Finish: Lively, evocative, maritime flavours. A long walk on a sandy beach, with a vigorous, salty spray.

Comment: One of the best Ardbegs I have ever tasted. Full range of the distillery's typical flavours, lyrically combined.

Score: 9.3