Another day, another Ardbeg Committee Special limited release with lots of marketing behind it, and of course, people like me who keep buying their stuff. I know that lately i have been a little rough on my critics to this legendary distillery, but i guess they heard the complaints of certain whisky enthusiast because let me give you and spoiler to this review: this expression was actually amazing. Ardbeg Anamorphic tells a story in 4k. It is labeled as a "multidimensional" whisky. The alleged technique behind it is that they have removed the barrel heads and charred them separatedly. Also they used a heavy charring on the ex bourbon barrels to produce an efect called "High Mocha", which honestly seems made up. Bottled at 48.2%abv. On the nose, it is great and super interesting. Aromas should take you to some realm of memories and the first thing anamorphic gave me was the aroma of the gas used to replentish the A/C in my house. Dark chocolate followed with some notes of moss and grass. It is spicy on the nose. After letting it breath, it gave me plastic, latex, a fresh can of tennis balls. It also became lactic; like some home made dulce de leche. Impressive really. On the palate, it was outstanding. Starts sweet and lactic with vanilla and chocolate milk. Then it became a "matahambre" which is a very popular pork cut for BBQ here in Ecuador. Aftertaste was beautiful. So peaty and powerful, moss and rubber. Overall; i have to be honest, i was incredibly surprised on how good this is. I drank it alongside various friends and this was the clear winner of the night. This is Ardbeg in a fine state. It has to be said: this time they nailed a pseudo-limited release. My score for it is 24 points in each criteria, leaving it with 96 points out of 100.
About this bottle
Ardbeg Anamorphic is an Ardbeg Committee exclusive release. The spirit was aged in Ardbeg bourbon casks that had the heads removed and ground down to expose more wood. The barrels themselves were heavily charred, before the casks were filled. It is bottled at 48.2% ABV and is only available to Ardbeg Committee Members, and in limited numbers at the distillery on Islay. It carries a suggested price of $209.99.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 5 parsed reviews.
Nice but not on 2012 ardbeg day level. Nose: Vanilla, Caramel, Bacon, Iodine, Pork Ribs, Barbecue, Smoke, Dark Chocolate, Peaches, Figs, Chili Peppers Palate: Dark Chocolate, Chili Peppers, Aniseed, Vanilla, Coal, Caramel, Iodine, Mackerels, Salted Cod, Smoke Finish: Grapefruit, Caramel, Vanilla, Peaches, Cherries, Iodine, Smoke
Comparitively faint aroma to the Ardbeg I'm used to, but still pleasant. Beautiful peat flavor, thinner than expected but doesn't detract from the experience at all. A touch of salt, sparkling tail. A solid expression.
👃: very subtle hints of smoke, fruity, and floral notes 👅: light, with notes of vanilla and a hint of smoke 🏁: more smoke with a bit of pepper but still smooth
There’s a subtle tangy vanilla sweetness that puts this into the stratosphere
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
