1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$152.99
The Corryvreckan started out as a replacement for the Airigh Nam Beist but has become a legend in its own right. The whisky has a unique sweet and spicy twist which blends well with the whisky's peaty maritime backbone. Bottled at 57.1% this whisky is often amongst the highest scoring with whisky critics and reviewers. It gets its sweet and spicy characteristics from the French oak in which some of the vatting is matured.
750 ml Low Stock
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: thick with honey and cream, Irish soda bread, dried fruits and salted caramel; a touch of powdered sugar, juicy malt, apricot and ashy smoke; sweet marmalade, candied ginger, cardamom and ginger.
Palate: big, rich, spicy, sweet and fruity; decadent, earthy and peated; massive spices: fennel, hot ginger, cinnamon and cardamom; juicy malt, firm earthy-oily peat and tar; sea salt, clean beach smoke and layers of fruit: oranges, melon and apricot.
Finish: long, savoury, oily and coating; tarry peat and juicy malt linger long with sugars, spice and everything nice.
Comment: this is a big peaty, maritime malt; a fine winter warmer, and still my favourite core Ardbeg.
Distiller's Tasting Note
Nose: With the first sniff, encounter the deep and turbulent force of Corryvreckan as it pulls you inwards. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into the torrents of tarry ropes, creosote and linseed oil rising from deep within the vortex. As you succumb to its power, a collision of waxy dark chocolate, warm blackcurrants and muscovado sugar pulls you under its spell with a burst of plump cherries and earthy pine needles leaping from its depths.
Palate: Plunge into the whirlpool and taste the mysterious depths of Corryvreckan. Torrents of taste well up on the palate; deep, peppery and chewy, bombarding the tongue with its intense tastes and textures. The first plunge brings forth chewy peppered steak soaked in pepper sauce with the tang of crispy seaweed. As you descend deeper, encounter a mouthful of black tarry espresso coffee that coats the palate with rich melted dark fruits (blackcurrants, blueberries and cherries) and bitter almonds. As the taste soaks in deeper, star anise and hickory dry out the palate before a surprise of chalky effervescent violets fizz to the surface.
Finish: Long, deep and remaining powerful into the finish with black tarry coffee, chocolate coated cherries and hot pepper sauce, the lingering memories of your mysterious and daring journey into Corryvreckan.
Evan here - I am not going to get into Ardbeg’s history or location or ownership too much. It is old, and it is on Islay. To say more is to preach to the choir for the most part. If you are keen to know more, just mispronounce the name as ‘Ardberg’ within the hearing of Andrew or Curt. You will quickly be corrected and then likely be given the chronological timeline of the distillery in question as well as a thorough essay on why it is perhaps the best distillery on Islay, if not in Scotland itself.
Anyhow. For a relatively small distillery, Ardbeg’s releases have become relatively prolific over the past few years. The distillery can boast about having the most rabid fan base in the world of Single Malt Scotch, and many of its releases correlate with this. Just about every limited edition bottle of Ardbeg is released to Ardbeg Committee Members first. Membership is free and allows you to find out when the next Ardbeg Limited Release is, well, released.
The core range of Ardbeg is strong. If you like you want a taste of what all of the fuss is about when it comes to Ardbeg, the regular Ardbeg 10-Year-Old is a great place to start. If you want a bottle that is a wee bit sweeter and goes in a few more directions when it comes to flavour profile, Ardbeg An Oa should suit you. The combination of peat Sherry is your thing? Then go for the Ardbeg Uigeadail. If you want the Ardbeg-ness of Ardbeg dialled up to 11, go for the Corryvreckan. And now, if you find yourself craving a release of Ardbeg that has an age statement, but you already have the Ardbeg 10, you can go for the Wee Beastie!