Tasting ‘Ardbeg Day’ 2012 Release

After the long intro post, It’s high time to taste this lovely new expressions everyone is waiting to put their hands on. It will be available starting June 2nd, at selected Ardbeg ‘Embassies’ worldwide, so check out where you can get you hands on a bottle. Sadly as there is no such embassy in Israel, this is maybe the closest i can get to a full bottle, and a wee sample is as good as any (thank you for the official sample , Ardbeg!) . A bit of information about this one: This one is a limited edition of ~12,000 bottles and is a marriage of two different styles of Ardbeg, which have been re-racked in ex-sherry casks for the last six months.  It has been bottled at 56.7% ABV and will be priced at about £60 a pop.AARDB

Ardbeg ‘Ardbeg Day’ expression , 56.7% ABV  , ~£60

Nose: We’re starting our journey with peat reek. Sweet Oloroso sherry with wet bandages dipped in diesel fuel. Cinnamon and wood spice Mushrooms and teabags. Also sweet with vanilla . With water – the peat reek gets even stronger adding notes of damp wood and dry  Cherubs.
Palate: Wham. Very powerful. Hitting the palate with  peat,  burnt sugar espresso and ginger. Smoke and ash are there alright. On the second wave burnt crust of crème brûlée and dried fruit. Creamy and savoury. It’s like the Uigedail but a tad darker. The Oloroso stands out adding  Creaminess. With water – it gets fruitier with enhanced feeling of dried fruit and sweeter sugars.
Finish: Dried fruit, ash and double espresso. With the burnt sugar lingering.

So how is it?

Terrific dram, lovely, very drinkable. If you liked the uigedail, and peat’s your game, you are on friendly grounds here. It’s more intense, and very rewarding. I like it very much.Good Sherry integration too. If you can get one, buy one. I would love to have a bottle handy. now, how? anyone fancy getting one for me?

Score: 90/100

Official sample provided by Ardbeg

6 thoughts on “Tasting ‘Ardbeg Day’ 2012 Release

  1. Sounds excellent! I hope they’ll be selling a few bottles through their online store as usual, else there’s no chance I’ll get a bottle either 🙁 Peat and Sherry = a child prophet conceived in a dark and dirty cellar!

    1. I hope so too mark, otherwise I’m stuck with only a sample. 😉 not complaining, but would love a full bottle. i know some embassies are getting a 4,5 liter bottle. i’d like that one! 😉 sure you would too.

  2. It’s on Oregon’s price list for next month, but I’m not sure how much the state is actually going to get. Additionally, for $90 I’m going to be tempted to just get a bottle of Uigeadail instead, which can be had for a lot closer to $60.

Leave a Reply to Gal(WhiskyIsrael)Cancel reply