Ardbeg An Oa 46.6%

There have been no new constant expressions from Arbeg for nearly a decade, so the anticipation for An Oa was pretty high, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Not as full on as Uigeadail but with more of a punch then the ten, this is a great addition to the line up.

Nose: Nutty with sweet tobacco leaf mix with confected sweets covering a base citrus of lemon and blood orange. Butterscotch and a little fudge bring more sweetness.

Palate: There is still plenty of peat to keep the core Ardbeg fans happy, but the overall mouth feel is quite light and delicate. Cigars and chocolate mix with fudge and limes giving good complexity and balance.

Finish: The smoke lingers on and becomes slightly ashy, but there is fudgy sweetness right alongside the smoke up until the end. The final flavours are not drying or spicy, but sweet and smoky.

Ardbeg Ten Years Old Gift Box, 70 cl

CHW