Smokehead Sherry Bomb Islay Single Malt

Tasting Notes

Producer Tasting Note

Nose: Thick peat lets you know you’ve got a serious Islay single malt on your hands. Then a fruitier, creamier feel – soft rich oak, soothing custard and vanilla. But don’t get comfortable – this is only the beginning.

Palate: Tie yourself down and wait for the hit of oily black smoke, with a rich, heavy mouthcoating peaty feel. Then along comes a sweet sticky flavour of barbecued banana (yes, really), tangy sultanas and dried fruits. Told you it was different.

Finish: The peat returns, just as you hoped/feared it would. This time it’s brought some authentic Spanish sherry oakiness with it, pleasingly and disturbingly sweet. And one last sharp salty reminder that you’re not dealing with the ordinary here.

Distillery

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!