[46.0%・NAS・Bottled in 2016・Compass Box and The Nectar Bottling・Limited Release]
A predominately Ardbeg blend that was developed by Mr. John Glaser and the Compass Box team with input from The Nectar’s team for the Belgium independent bottler’s tenth anniversary.
Nose:
Full of maritime notes. Hickory smoked mussels with a heavy, almost tarry substance. At the same time though, there are these lighter ripe stone fruits alongside vanilla and firewood. The malt weights on the overall tone and is perhaps indicative of its youthful age. Plenty of iodine and minerals coming through in time as a seafood chowder creaminess develops.
Palate & Finish:
Ah, white fruit nectar, lemony with plenty of seaweed-y peat and sichimi spices. The underlying vanilla note turns rather leathery and somewhat bitter with the dried fruit peels. Quite ashy, tarry but also peppery through out.
The finishing is herbal and lengthy with some lightheartedness from the light fruits.
Thoughts:
I do quite enjoy whiskies from both The Nectar and Compass Box and this is a nice coming together of the two. The blend is not entirely without rough edges but it’s full of rustic showings of those exiting nuances. Certainly not a bubble-wrapped Ardbeg.
☆ [Recommended]
-Nicholas
WhiskNick 