Somehow against a backdrop of raiding Norsemen, inter-island clan battles and English taxation, Ardbeg emerged as unquestionably the greatest distillery on earth. Ardbeg Ten Years Old is a very special bottling for the Ardbeg distillery as it is the first non-chill filtered whisky in the Ardbeg range. Chill filtering isn't a bad thing, in fact it created real consistency of product when the whisky industry was a little more hap-hazard than it is today. Ardbeg Ten Years Old is whisky with none of the goodness taken out and as good as straight from the cask.
The inhabitants of Islay had been enjoying the effects of strong wines and aquavitae for years before the Ardbeg distillery was established. Even attempts to suppress the unruly islanders with a heavy malt tax could not deter illicit distillers and smugglers operating around Ardbeg's rocky cove. This was perhaps an inevitable consequence for a remote island, so difficult for the excisemen to reach, yet blessed with an abundance of natural resources needed for producing whisky - fertile soil, peat bogs and unlimited supplies of soft peaty water.
A true whisky gold colour with a shimmering amber twinkle like the Ardbeg Burn at sunset. Mountains of mellow peaty sweet tropical fruits on the nose - heady bouquet of sweet grainy ferments, malt yeasts, matted summer straw and sugar cane. A sweet and undivided palate with melons, smokey dried fruits, apricots, more yellow fruits and ripe melons, walnuts and a continuing ripe honey-dew and pipe tobacco clinging finish that's just becomes more and more delicious as the spirit subsides.
