Ardbeg Spectacular

Aroma: Peaty, smoky, tobacco. Smells like bacon fat. Light fruit notes emerge as the aroma develops. Mildly sweet port notes. Syrupy dark fruit. Nice salty quality. Palate: Peaty, but surprisingly smooth. The port influence is present but well-integrated with classic Ardbeg peat and smoke. Tastes of candied dark fruit. A hint of crème brûlée. Finish: Light ash. Peat. Whispers of dried fruit. Comparing to the 10 year old highlights many young, fruity, chewy malt notes from the 10. The 10 is noticeably hotter at the same alcohol level.

Ardbeg smoke, blueberries, dark chocolate, and citrus unite flawlessly. Nose: Raisins, Dark Chocolate, Smoke, Iodine, Berries, Apricots, Pineapples, Date Syrup, Blueberries, Strawberries, Chili Peppers, Ginger Palate: Smoke, Iodine, Bacon, Raisins, Mackerels, Dark Chocolate, Morello Cherries, Plums, Grapefruit, Blueberries Finish: Mesquite Smoke, Hickory Smoke, Coal, Blueberries, Figs, Grilled Artichokes

The texture is smoother than the usual Ardbeg, but the taste is still comparable. Plenty of smoke, ash, and seaweed, but maybe less pronounced citrus notes. It's hard to tell if the port barrel adds a distinct flavor (there's some dried fruit, but you have to search for it), yet it's still a very enjoyable Ardbeg variation.

Clocking in at 92 proof, this was aged in both port wine and bourbon barrels. It's a sweeter peat with notes of cherry, salted orange, banana, candied ham, wine, salted chocolate, bacon, fruit cocktail, honey, vanilla, caramel, toasted barley and corn, graham crackers, charred oak, butter popcorn, pineapple, and vanilla.

Campfire smoke, licorice, eucalyptus, pear, apple, nuts, sea salt, leather. There is a lot going on with this. Many different elements that eventually combine to make a great scotch.

The smoky aroma and flavor are much drier than I typically expect from Ardbeg, leaning towards char or wood smoke rather than peat. It's still very good, with a medium to rich body and a spicy, peppery finish.