Mirthful's Comestibles

Nose: Cold peat smoke, banana toffee, a hint of liquorice. With water it becomes sweeter and more fruity; apples and vanilla.

Palate: Like chewing a fireplace; smoke, ashes, brick dust. Bitter oakiness.

Comments: I prefer the nose to the palate, but it grows on me.

Score: 6 out of 10

Just realised I’m talking about this on a talk and taste on Wednesday and haven’t tasted it myself yet. So I thought I’d show up prepared for once.

Nose: Ah. Banana, or rather, the banana flavoured thingy-ma-bob that dentists put on you teeth when they’ve been polished. I like it. And Ardbeg is supposed to smell of bananas, so that is All Good. And pine needles. Now that’s a new one. Not unpleasant, though. Immediately there isn’t all that much peat on the nose, not the oomph one might expect. Peaty, yes, but not exceedingly so.

Palate: Peaty, seaweedy and meaty. Bold mouthfeel, I almost want to chew it. The pine needles are apparent on the palate as well. A splash of water brings out a vague bitterness and kills some of the power. I think I prefer it without.

Conclusion: Very good. There will not be a problem in emptying the bottle.

Points: 8,5 out of 10

I’ve been looking forward to this. Not because I expect great things (40%? Chill-filtered?), but because it has got to be interesting. I hope.

Now, let’s see.

Nose: Peat. Not a lot, but distinctive. Vanilla and banana bread. Very malty.

Palate: Fireplace, burnt wood and rock. Some lemon and a hint of liquorice.

Conclusion: Nice. Very drinkable. It lacks the wow-factor, though. Would a higher ABV have helped, I wonder, or is it just that this is Ardbeg Ice, so to say, and it’s bound to be slightly disappointing if you like the peat-beast?

Points: 5,5/10

Nose: Werther’s Original! Smøbukk! The immediate impression is definitely butterscotch. Frighteningly little alchohol sting for a strength of 59.9%. Hint of sometnhing fruity and possibly a very little smoke in the background.

When I add water the smoke becomes more apparent. We’re obviously eating butterscotch by a fire which is about to go out at the edge of a Norwegian lake one evening in spring. We could be at Finnskogen. With another splash of water I also get the association of pretzels – salty and sweet yeasty baked goods.

Palate: Ah, so that’s where the smoke was hiding! I’m probably not breathing fire, but it feels like I might just. Smoke and charcoal and more than a hint of turkish pepper filling (from the sweets). Quite drinkable at this strength, but I guess I’d better try some water.

At first the achohol is emphasised rather than lessened. Then the taste becomes more rounded, but I think it was better with a few edges, and I’ll probably drink this without water for the most part.

Comments: A new favourite. Such a pity that we (I! They’re MINE, all MINE I tell you!) only have two bottles.

Score: 9.5 out of 10