Ardbeg 15 Year Old North Star Spirits Bottling Cask #5076 2008 75cl
Distilled on 29th October 2008, this whisky spent 15 years maturing in a refill oloroso butt, before its bottling in October 2023. 120 bottles were released.
Tasting Notes
Nose : The nose opens with aromas of sea salt, dried seaweed, marzipan, and a backbone of smoke. Giving it air and there’s also wet earth, cashew nuts, milk chocolate, toffee pops, lime cordial, aniseed, cracked black pepper and a slight meatiness.
Palate : The palate opens with tar, ash, caramel, warming pepper spice, dirty water and toffee. The mouthfeel is good with a slight creaminess to it. The finish is a medium length with the ash and caramel notes lingering. Air reveals ginger spice, orange peel, bacon, and thyme.
Nose (with water) : Reduction has brought out some cloves, gingerbread, strawberry Chewits, more ash, and burnt caramel sauce. The lime note has been accentuated, while the wet earth has dried out and the pepper spice has disappeared. Water has opened the nose up nicely.
Palate (with water) : The reduced palate has less smoke, and is showing more sweetness largely in the form of brown sugar. It’s a little spicier now verging on a sweet chilli. The mouthfeel has held up well to a few drops of water. The finish is a little shorter, but there’s still a good amount of smoke and sweetness lingering. Overall the palate has held up well to reduction, and we’d suggest adding a few drops.
About Ardbeg
Ardbeg distillery has been producing whisky since 1798. The distillery is owned by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, and produces a heavily peated Islay whisky. The distillery uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen.
The Ardbeg distillery was officially founded in 1815 by John McDougall. But Whisky was distilled there long before that. There are no documentations, as Ardbeg was an illegal business back in 1794. The distillery is now owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy), which also owns Glenmorangie distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. The current capacity is just over one million litres per annum and its water source is Loch Uigeadail, after which one of its famous releases is named.
About North Star Spirits
Astronomy plays a massive part in the storytelling narrative of our core whisky range. Our vision is reflected in our company name. The North Star is the anchor of the northern sky. It is a landmark, or sky marker, that helps those who follow it determine direction as it glows brightly to guide and lead toward a purposeful destination. It also has a symbolic meaning, for the North Star depicts a beacon of inspiration and hope to many. North Star focuses its energies on the curiosities, peculiar oddities, and obscurities - whisky as it comes, straight from the cask and into a bottle - without any fancy tricks.
61% ABV
70cl
