Ardbeg 15 Year Chieftain's (Ian MacLeod)

Rating: 22/23 N: I haven't given this the couple of minutes that it needs yet, but I'm intrigued by a bit of sort of bourbon caramel orange if that makes sense. White pepper, a little black pepper, herbal, faintly leathery. This smells mature and refined. A bit more herbal spices build. P: This tastes higher proof than Ardbeg Ten, with more herbal dryness and more distinct flavors. This isn't as sweet, but in as sense it tastes like Ardbeg Ten++, or perhaps like Ardbeg with a little Octomore. This is probably less balanced, but it has some really nice distinct flavors standing out that do go well together and the result is less muddled. Ardbeg Ten was never that muddled, but this further unmuddles it. As I sip, the complexity grows. Charcoal, apples, tar, and so forth. Herbal peat, of course. A bit of chocolate, some barrel spices heading into baking spices. some caramel. I'm getting a lot of bourbon barrel character here. This is really nice. Ardbeg Arrrrrdbeg and Ardbeg Scorch taste positively young and uncomplex in comparison. Although this is generally dry, there is still some sweetness. Hints of blackstrap molasses and super low grade maple mix with bittersweet chocolate behind the scenes. And there is character that stands out in each flavor, unlike in the recent Feis Isla releases. Ardbeg Corryvreckan is drier and more peppery, but also less complex. I think that this scores a clear win. Ardbeg Uigeadail is sweeter with more of an oloroso character to it. The Uigeadail is less complex than the Corryvreckan, but it's more hedonistic so there's a fair fight between those two. This feels like the compromise that takes the best of both worlds. Time to pull out the big guns. I have Springbank 12 Cask strength (22) here. Based on one sip of each...I don't know which is better. I'm looking in the 21 to 23 range for this. Holy cow! Yeah, that's a 23 in that range. Side by side with Glenfarclas 25 (23), I'm not immediately sure which is better. This is fuller because it's (presumably) higher proof, but the profiles are pretty different. It does make me wonder what higher proof Glenfarclas 25 with a little peat would taste like though... F: Rich, peaty, some citrus fruit and apple. Vanilla, oak, a bit of caramel. - Conclusion - I think I've had one prior Chieftan's bottling and I was not very impressed. Maybe this is just Ardbeg always being good, but it seems like I should give Chieftan's another chance. This is quite dry and peaty. It has nothing on Octomore though. I took a sip of a random Octomore and found it oppressively dry and peaty. This, in comparison, is much more balanced and interesting. This may be a very strong scotch and it may substantially affect my tastebuds, but it doesn't go so far that flavors becomes two-dimensional. The point is that, although Octomore is quite good in a sort of gimmicky - or seriously acquired taste - way, this has much better balance, maturity, complexity, and approachability (though I certainly wouldn't call this approachable). If all you want is peat, go for Octomore. If you like tons of peat and want an excellent dram, go for this. If you aren't a fan of tons of peat and/or tar, avoid this. My take though is that this is excellent. This has a ton of maturity with a great balance point so that it doesn't take too much like anything. Coming back to this again after tasting several other Ardbegs, this is the first one to blow me away, so I immediately know that it must be at least a 20. Ardbeg Corryvreckan can try to compete, but I don't think that it has the finesse that this does. I don't think that this achieves perfection, but I'm thinking at least a 20, with a 22 being a possibility and a 23 being maybe in the realm of possibility. It's very difficult for me to give a 23 to a peated scotch because I don't have a 22 on hand to compare it with; however, I do at least have the dregs of my super oxygenized Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which I just awarded a 21. And I am fairly confident that this is the better dram. This is somehow both fuller and more complex. The edges here are a bit sharper, but there's still lots of nuance. I don't quite see this rising to the level of a 23, but it's exceedingly good. Side by side, Glenfarclas 25 does come across as more mature and refined. This is overall not that far away though. I'm really surprised by how I find this better than Ardbeg Traigh Bhan (19/23) as well. The Traigh Bhan was excellent, and I might have underrated it, but it definitely didn't rise to this level. I could go anywhere in the 21 to 23 range for this one. Actually, it probably isn't a 23. But it's at least a 21 for sure because I'd take it over this terrific Corryvreckan. I'm on the fence between a 21 and 22 right now, but I think I'll give it the 22. You know, I only recall (vaguely) having one other Chieftain's bottling before and... I didn't really like it. I'd written them off as a low-end bottler, but this sample really overperformed. I guess I'd better start looking for more Chieftain's. Thank you, @pkingmartin for sending me a sample of this! And I'm sorry it took me so long to get around to tasting it. This was a wonderful experience.

Straw color, legs that barely move. Once again I prepare to humble myself thanks to @pkingmartin. The nose is plenty peaty (less smokey) with slight medicinal phenol from feet away. There’s a layer of ash deeper in the glass along with malt and resin. Alcohol is noticeably but not offensive, actually provides some balance. Vanilla paste, oak furniture. The fruit is hard to place, almost a dried banana chip. Hot and ashy. Astringent oak and walnut follow with a burnt green pepper bit of earthy spice. In ways this reminds me of Mezcal but with the wood and bit of vanilla paste to back it up (instead of charred earth and vegetation). Continuing to work through this the ash proves difficult to get beneath. Rubber tire. I’m gonna make the executive decision and add water. That’s really something - honey comes forward and the palate turns slightly more creamy. Maybe there’s some fried plantain (cooked in oil that exceeded its smoking temp). Overall this is really way more ash laden than the nose let on. I hate to say it but this is a bit one or two dimensional for me. I only get this level of ash with Lagavulin but there’s no real sweetness or meaty brine to balance it. The phenol is there but not to the level of Laphroaig. Could this just be too young to have come together and mellowed a bit? It’s just so damn vegetal. Hard to rate because it’s novel, but not my jam. Will forego a rating for now but wouldn’t be especially high…. That’s a lie, I can’t go above a 2.5-3. I’ll split the difference and say 2.75. Answer please - Chieftans 15y single malt. Ardbeg. (Scratches head). I guess I see it now from my limited, but joyful, experience with Cory. This is just nowhere near as sweet. The finish just doesn’t quit, but it also doesn’t change up. It also lacks some of the more resinous notes from the nose, although they do come out a bit with a splash of water. Sadly I’m still too basic for this dram. I want more pumpkin spice and less Ugg boot. Maybe some day.

This is a bottle I’ve been waiting to try for months. It was a K and L exclusive that my brother brought and hid at my parents house for my visit in April. Then the freaking coronavirus pandemic crushed my travel plans and so it rested hidden in a fireplace in the basement for months before I finally got a chance to get there and pull it out of the Santa bag waiting on me to try. I came in with high hopes on this one and being an avid Ardbeg fan it was a lot to ask. This is a single cask 15 year Ardbeg at 58 percent but as soon as you smell it you get a big hit of peat. This is complex, I get salted caramel apple pie with rich vanilla ice cream on top, cinnamon, candied maple bacon and the mouthfeel is the most viscous I’ve ever had. It makes Compass Box Tobias and Flaming Heart taste watery in comparison, they aren’t but that’s just how oily this is. The finish stays with you for almost 20 minutes. An epic whiskey worth the wait.