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Tasting notes:
Ardbeg's 1975 Vintage - "Fabulous, absolutely
divine"
Nose: Sweet and
floral. Not only is there some heather in there but also a hint of
lavender. The smoke is gentle and unassuming, more happy to interplay with
the oak to create these delicate floral tones. The great age can be
detected by the faintest waft of pine but the malt hangs together with
effortless poise. A nose as beguiling as it is complex.
Taste: The peatiness
makes a quite staggering entry. On the nose it has been slightly shy and
retiring. As it hits the palate you see an altogether different character:
Immediately huge and mouth-filling, it seems to take a special fancy to the
roof of the mouth where an almost sensual oiliness allows it to cling for
ages. Attached to this peatiness is a quite delicious and teasingly slow
build up of cocoa as the oak again superbly interacts with the phenols.
Finish: This is what
you pray for from an Ardbeg: a long, almost never-ending finish with the
peat refusing to leave the stage. There is also a lingering sweetness which
lasts right through from the very first taste. The oak does add its usual
vanilla character and the malt also makes its presence felt as a constant
within the sweetness but everything is very low key and supremely
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