Origin: Isle of Islay (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 49.9%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Moet Hennessy
Average price: € 200.00
Official website: www.ardbeg.com
Vote: 83/100
Let’s go back in time to Ardbeg Day 2014, with what was the limited (but not too limited) edition of the time: 66,600 bottles, a number with demonic influences.
From the label, we discover that Auriverdes stands for ‘Green Gold’, in reference to the glass of the bottle and its contents, or perhaps a football reference given the World Cup that year? Not knowing a damn thing about soccer, I choose the former.
As always, a NAS, rumoured to contain whiskies dating back to 2002 and, therefore, probably a 12 year old, not chillfiltered and without colouring, with the lids of the ageing casks having undergone a particular toasting process.
Tasting notes
Full gold in the glass.
The nose starts off strongly iodized, where the peat is more soaked in seawater than toasted, with a good pass of varnish and glue. Unripe banana, apple, grapefruit, sugar paste, aniseed, with time lemon cream emerges and a more pronounced and decisive thread of smoke, with which an impression of barbecue meat and honey emerges. Bizarre.
The palate becomes sweeter and more accommodating, with a hint of pepper and ginger introducing a more convinced carnivorous soul wrapped in a cream tart with citrus, anise, malt and a dusting of ash. Bitterish veins alternate with the sweet soul of the distillate, creating a bit of a mess. Malt and grapefruit.
Fairly long, ashy finish of citrus, malt, barbecue.
Not very balanced and all in all light, it doesn’t offer much in the way of interest but it is a pleasure to drink even if it doesn’t stand out except for a slightly unconventional nose.