Ardbeg 10 Year Old ‘MOR’ Full Proof

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Full Proof

• Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
• Distillery Bottling

450cl / 57.3%

The Ardbeg Mór, translating as “big” or “magnificent” in Gaelic, was distilled in the late 1990’s and bottled in 2008. This is the 2nd edition of the Mór, which has been bottled at 46% as per the standard 10 year old, unlike its 1st edition sibling which was bottled at cask strength.

A massive 4.5 litre bottle of cask strength 10 year old Ardbeg, bottled as ‘MOR’ (this was the original MOR bottling). A serious bit of kit that will take up a chunk of space and provide a talking point at whisky related gatherings for years to come. Lifting it to pour a dram may require help.

Colour: pure gold. Nose: superb smoke, a perfect blend of peat and fruit juice (apple, pear and peach). Far from being an ‘intellectual’ Ardbeg on the nose: it’s just pure pleasure. The peat is very delicate in fact, and seems to be there just to underline the whole. Notes of herbal tea, Chinese smoked tea, with some wee hints of mustard. Perhaps a little kiwi juice and orange juice. Very subtle, yet straightforward. Mouth: rather smooth and, again delicately smoky, although it gets then bolder and bolder, on a mix of fruit syrup, pepper and nutmeg. The palate is kind of austere in fact, but it’s highly ‘sippable’. Goes on with some apple juice and pepper, green vegetables, cold tea (Earl Grey – bergamot). Ardbeg 10 Year Old ‘MOR’ Full Proof

Hints of gin tonic, getting quite woody but with much delicacy. Far from being ‘violent’ but still rather full-bodied, getting more and more austere, the fruit having vanished after twenty minutes in the glass. It gets then very herbal and even a bit astringent and funnily ‘green’. Quite a beast in fact, uncompromising and not so easy to tame, after all. A bit Jansenist? Anyway, a rather philosophical Ardbeg (if not intellectual), whatever that means ;-). The finish is quite long, mainly on lemon juice. Much subtler than the current 10yo, and perhaps just a little less full-bodied. Yes, it just lacks a bit more body to make it to 95, so it’ll be