NV Ardbeg - Alligator (51.2%)
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Tasting notes
Delicate: like a bomb aimer... steady, steady, there she goes... and suddenly spices light up the nose; some coriander and cocoa too; surprisingly silky, soft and light, milky chocolate hides some lurking clove in the soothing smoke; hits its stride for a magnificent finale: as long as you could possibly hope for and an-ever gathering intensity of busy, prickly spice. Mocha and a dab of praline see off any potential bitterness to the oaky fight back; an alligator happy to play with you before sinking its teeth in. The spices, though big, are of the usual Ardbegian understatement.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jim Murray, Whisky Bible
Whisky Advocate
More reviews and scores
Similar to the standard Ardbeg 10 year old, except that a portion of the whisky was aged in heavily charred barrels (referred to as an “alligator” char). An aggressive whisky — even for Ardbeg — with a leathery texture throughout. Dynamic too, with coal tar, soot, bourbon barrel char, espresso, cocoa, licorice root, smoked fish, and a hint of ginger. There's a nice creamy vanilla underbelly to balance the aggressiveness and (at least partially) muzzle the Alligator.
About the producer
Ardbeg is one of the most recognisable peated whiskies today. The distillery was instrumental in kickstarting the Islay revival when it reopened in the late 1990s.