Nose: Sweet mescal-like smokiness, honey-cured ham, brine, lemon, white grape juice, toffee, vanilla (just a dash) and barley sugar. Reduction changes the nose by dialing down the intensity (of course) but it also melds everything into a single warm, comforting presence. It does simplify the story, but in a delightful way. Palate: The arrival is sweet and smoky with plush stone fruits (apricot, white peach), citrus (lemon, red grapefruit, citrine) and dried grapes (sultanas, raisins). The smoke note persists throughout the palate but gains complexity as it progresses with coal smoke, wood smoke, ashes and tarry triple-salt licorice all making an entrance. Honey and melon flavours appear towards the finish. There is a thread of vanilla sewing this palate together and providing moderating balance between the smoke and citrus components, but it is so well done you can miss it at first. The texture is velvety and plush. Like the nose, reduction reduces the intensity but evolves a delicious combination of flavours from all the ingredients. Finish: Medium/Long. Sweet, fruity smoke with grapefruit and honeyed-herbal notes in the aftertaste. An excellent whisky that is a masterclass in how to effectively use sauternes casks for whisky maturation. Allowing a full 13 years for half of this whisky to interact with fine sauternes wood (I bet they were ex-Château d'Yquem casks) has imbued it with singular depth and richness. This could easily have been a disastrous overload of wine-influence but blending this spirit with an equal quantity of bourbon-cask matured spirit (refill casks I betcha) has made the perfect marriage. Excellent balance and integration is the key to this whisky with no one aspect of its multi-faceted profile being allowed to dominate. It is delicious neat but it also responds very well to reduction. It is no longer available in my market except through auctions and considering the price (which I thought was very fair) I wish I had bought two bottles in the first place. No, come to think of it I wish I had bought a case. A great contemporary Ardbeg (are “great” and “Ardbeg” synonyms?). “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)
About this bottle
Ardbeg's Anthology Collection showcases unusual maturation methods. The first release is The Harpy's Tale, a 13 year old single malt whisky aged in a combination of bourbon and Sauternes casks. The resulting clash between sweet and smoky notes is said to be represented by the mythological, half-human, half-bird harpy, and is bottled at 92 proof. (SRP $164.99)
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 12 parsed reviews.
Nose is wet cut grass, dry campfire smoke and cigar ash with maybe fresh jasmine or honeysuckle teasing in the background. No peat, no meat, no heat. Palate is very smooth, very creamy and rich, with an all-over instant mouth coating; sweet dried jerky, pears, dried apricot and peat smoke (finally) all collide into a glorious mishmash of flavor that persists for 20-30 seconds. Closes short and dry with the cigar ash again appearing and lingering quite pleasantly. A very nice dram. That is, I mean, a very nice dram unless you were actively seeking an Ardbeg. Because this is the first Ardbeg I’ve ever had that I couldn’t immediately identify as Ardbeg. The hay notes are missing, there’s no oil or tartness, and the smoke is so muted, so faint, that you question if it’s actually peated at all. Kudos are earned for not only making something that breaks with the standard, but doing so in an exceptional way. I am now in a hunt for more bottles before they are all gone.
I found this rather unremarkable. Vague hints of citrus on the somewhat flat nose. An orange sherbet shade to the typical Ardbeg flavors in the mouth, perhaps the orange Nesquik that I used to covet as a child. The finish is dry and herbal, with a sage note. I was expecting this to be unpleasantly sweet but if anything it’s too dry. Others at the same tasting were more excited about this than me, so please form your own impressions, but this particular tale did not leave me wanting a sequel.
warm and inviting on the toungue, there is a nice cereal notes, a dash of brine, salted caramel, lemon zest, dashes of grilled pinapple and apricot sweetness. then comes a big rush of peat, which mingles greatly with the sweet sauterenes notes. the finish has a nice peppery medium length duration with lots of peat and reisdual sugary sweetness. its almost like ugg with a more white, brighter fruit note. I enjoy the older whiskey age as well. Good release in my book!
The classic peat and sweet treat where bacon and smoke meld with yellow fruits. Nose: Bacon, Apricots, Pineapples, Honey, Smoke, Walnuts, Figs, Sultanas, Golden Kiwis, Coconuts, Lemon Meringue Pie Palate: Bacon, Sultanas, Bananas, Apricots, Figs, Mangoes, Smoke, Golden Kiwis, Yellow Plums, Lemon Custard, Grapefruit, Seville Oranges, Walnuts, Mint Chocolate Finish: Sultanas, Mangoes, Papayas, Bacon, Iodine, Smoke, Key Lime Pie, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Golden Kiwis
Blind tasting Nose: peat, sweet. Lagavulin reminiscent Taste: sweet, peaty, hint of medicinal aftertaste Wood: Rating: Notes: Distillery? Lagavulin. Maybe ardbeg bizarrebq but that was sweeter and more spicy I think
6 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
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