Ardnamurchan The ArdnAmerica Tour Bottling Cask Strength Peated Sauternes Barriques

Received this bottle as a gift for my birthday. Ardnamurchan has become my second favorite distillery. Excited to own this. Nose - Mild peat smoke. Have to say off the bat, has a mature peat type feel. Not overly powerful. You get fruit syrup and citrus behind the peat. It smells similar to the AD/10 except for the peat. Lots of tropical fruit sweetness. Tangerines and mangoes and pineapple. The smoke is like mild burnt logs. I also get hints of iodine and saltiness. Smells refreshing. Tongue - very oily right on the first sip. Oily and rich! Get much more peat on the tongue than the nose. Has some sharpness! Seems to be young. Coats the mouth well. Pretty sweet but not as much as the AD/10. Has a little medicinal quality too. The sweetness is like that of a moscato. The nose evolved as I tasted and I do get a leathery tobacco vibe. I get saltiness as well on tongue. It seems to be interacting with the sides of tongue palette, leaving the middle. A very interesting dram! The AD/10 is my favorite Ardnamurchan so far, but I do love this pour. Added a little water. The peat on the nose is much milder now. Feels a lot more syrupy now. I get a lot more apples and grapes. The sharpness went away significantly. Perhaps it was the high abv. It’s beautifully sweet and peaty. I get more leather, apple cider, spice and grapes. Yes, water opens this up a lot more. Highly recommend adding a small dash of water! 90/100.