Ardbeg 2010 Single Cask #3150 Signed by Micky Heads

Ardbeg 2010 Single Cask #3150 Signed

This is the latest single cask release from Ardbeg and was released to mark the retirement of the distillery manager Micky Heads.

These bottles have been personally signed by Micky on the side of the bottle.

Date Cask Filled – 20th October 2010

Date Bottled – 7th February 2020

Outturn – 247 bottles

Cask Type – Refill Bourbon Barrel

Cask No – 3150

70cl

ABV 57%

This mystery Islay whisky is well-known to originate from a distillery whose name rhymes with “Blardbleg”. I poured my first glass of this whisky a couple months ago before my break, then poured another glass a few nights to follow up on my notes and confirm the score. Ardbeg 2010 Single Cask #3150 Signed by Micky Heads

Nose: Deep smoke and savouriness with a remarkable fruity freshness. Orange chicken, fried calamari, oyster sauce, olive brine, and charcoal grill smoke. Sweet flavours of ripe peaches, apples, and cherries, as well as some richer sweet notes like chocolate cake. Cinnamon-dusted nuts. A bit of red wine. Slightly herbal – lemongrass and something a bit mustier.

Palate: Medium-thin texture. Very sweet on the arrival, with honey and figs. It gets more savoury with glazed grilled pork, then descends further to sooty, earthy peat smoke. Rich earthy notes as it develops – very dark chocolate, cumin, toasted walnuts, and coffee grounds. A hint of saltiness, almost a hard cheese. A final sweet note of cherry cordials as it transitions to the finish.

Finish: Medium-length. Savouriness lifts back into sweetness. My dad’s bbq’ed apricot-glazed chicken. Cumin, coffee grounds, tangerine, maple sugar, and ginger. Lingering fresh peach.