Act One of Livingstone’s Macbeth Whisky Collection consists of nine whiskies. Four more acts will be released in the upcoming years, totaling 42 whiskies. The complete first outturn is:
- Glen Grant 56 Years – King Duncan
- Cambus 31 Years – First Ghost
- BenRiach 31 Years – Menteith Thanes
- Glen Garioch 31 Years – Angus Thanes
- Linkwood 31 Years – Lady Macduff
- Ardbeg 19 Years – First Witch
- Ledaig 18 Years – First Murderer
- Ardmore 12 Years – Seyton
- Blair Athol 10 Years – Bloody Sergeant
I am about to taste quite a few of those and have decided to start with an Ardbeg finished in PX casks (for 2 years) Can not be bad? right?
Ardbeg 19 yo ‘First Witch’ ,Pedro Ximénez butts, 51.7% , £550
Nose: Mmmmm. Yummy sweet smoky goodness you can expect from a sherried Ardbeg. Peat, BBQ meats in a sweet marinade, and quite a lot of raisins More sniffing reveals a nice tarry note, as well as seaweed and ashes, alongside cured meat and singed oranges and bonfires. Yes. I like it!!
Palate: Peat and lots of it, then comes a wave of orange zest (think orange cake), peat smoke, and glazed bacon, sprinkled with fresh ground black peppercorns. There’s a nice dried fruit sweetness as well which combines very nicely with the bonfires and peat embers – sultanas, plums, more tar, and a certain ashy bitterness followed by hints of iodine and hessian with the sweet notes in the background now.
Finish: Long & yummy – with tar, peat pepper and some dark chocolate, black tea, and more sultanas.
Conclusion: An excellent example of peat and PX finishing, with the textbook Ardbeg notes, and a lovely sweet edge added by the PX. Ardbeg fans will love this one, and if you’re a peat/PX combo lover- this one’s up your alley. Not cheap though…
Score: 91/100
Still available online for those with deep pockets.