Ardbeg 1963 30 Year Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)

It's difficult to assess this objectively due to the rare nature of the tasting, which deserves more than five stars. Many of the flavors were so delicate that they were hard to discern from a small sample at the end of a night of drinking modern Ardbeg. Nevertheless, what I detected included subtle sour fruit notes and a trace of something metallic on the nose. On the palate, it lingers on the sides of the tongue despite the low alcohol content, revealing grapefruit and lychee, specifically the flesh of the lychee, not the juice. The lengthy finish was filled with awe, a hint of entitled greed, and a fleeting moment of connection with all existence. Yes, no definitive tasting notes for the finish. It suffices to say this tastes significantly different from a modern Ardbeg, though the fruity notes are comparable to other Islays of this age. An itch has been satisfied, for now.

Incredible! So tropical. Smell: Mangoes, passion fruit, raisins, pineapples, walnuts, salted caramel, dark chocolate, coal, roses, coconuts, brown butter Taste: Pineapples, dark chocolate, figs, raisins, honey, butterscotch, elderflower, papayas, mangoes, yellow plums, key limes, anise, licorice, cinnamon, sawdust Aftertaste: Passion fruit, butterscotch, brown sugar, pineapples, walnuts, leather, raspberries, Morello cherries, salted toffee, raisins, watermelons, sultanas