Ardbeg Galileo

Ardbeg Galileo is NOT space whisky. Repeat that over and over in your head, to your local bottle shop owner, to your co-workers that think they know more about whisky than you, to your beloved pet that you swear can communicate with you telepathically. Tell it to whomever spews that nonsense in your direction. The rumors behind this 2012 bottling from Ardbeg range from cosmonauts smuggling a bottle of Ardbeg 10 on a space flight to cases of the stuff being ordered by members of the international space station. None of it is true. This bottle is simply a celebration of the astronomer Galileo and Ardbeg helping a scientific study about the germination process of barley in zero gravity. They were contacted to supply a few pieces of grain for the experiment while maintaining the same grain here on Earth. Scientists wanted to monitor how things change in space. That’s it. The whisky specs are: 12 year old stock taken from first and second fill bourbon casks that’s blended with some Marsala wine cask finished juice. It’s non-chill filtered, but does have added coloring and was bottled at 49%. Current prices range anywhere from $215-$400, if you can find it. Is it worth it? In a word, yes. It’s a beautiful deep, copper gold with big, thick runny legs and heavy droplets. It looks very oily and drinks that way as well. The nose is typical peat smoke with a spicy backbone. There’s a slightly funky, soured and over-ripened vine fruit aspect that permeates the entire nosing. Raspberries and green grapes immediately came to mind as I nosed this thing for the better part of an hour (I got distracted during the session). The palate is a complex bit of sweet, salty and savory wine cask. There’s an oily and rich vanilla note from the bourbon cask stock and a distinct tobacco note. The smoke is surprisingly restrained here, but I think it actually helps the overall experience this way. This is a dessert whisky more than a smoky Ardbeg. The finish is long and sweet, oily and warming that turns spicy right at the very end. The smoke finally leaves its signature here. Smoky burn and spice that meld together perfectly. Overall, this is an incredible Ardbeg for its age. The entire space whisky talk is just a distraction. Buy this bottle and drink it. They whisky inside this bottle will take your tastebuds on a voyage that no space flight ever could. I found a couple bottles of this online out of The Netherlands for $215 and now I’m wishing I bought a few more- not to collect, but to savor. This is a beautiful Ardbeg. 4.5 stars. Cheers.

Oddly, it's an enjoyable bottle, but not my favorite from the series for precisely a reason which, in other bottles, would be a revered prize: it's almost perfectly balanced! In fact, it's TOO balanced. Most Ardbeg bottles have an aggressive flavor strain running through them, be it a strident ash-heap, engine char, campfire smoke (Ardbog); a musty, mushroom and cottage cheese laden funk (Supernova); a kale and seaweed-forward vegetable medley (Kelpie); or some other assertive bent. Galileo has almost all of those, but they have a fair degree of self-restraint...there just isn't a punch like the others from the series. What does make the bottle rather enjoyable, and a standout among Ardbegs, is the number of unique taste notes it contains: the nose has medicinal and Band-Aid characteristics to be sure, but a surprising amount of citrus in it as well, such as orange rind, marmalade, white grapes, banana (not so much clove), and a bit of grass, which give way to more malt-forward notes such as nugget, butterscotch, and meringue. These are present in other Ardbegs, but Galileo does play a better host than other releases. Still, the showing just doesn't provide the in-your-face flavor showcase I have come to expect from Islay's most edgy distillery. The nose is the most fulfilling part. Palate thins a bit, with a mild pepper and ash finishing off into a medium, oily slightly drying finish which, regrettably, is again rather thin (in distinction to drams like Uigeadail where it goes on for days). There's a bit of solvent, pencil eraser, bubble gum, and perhaps brown sugar, but it's over too soon. Good, though not a standout Ardbeg. Still, it's better than most things gracing the shelves.

The famous Ardbeg Gallileo, the whisky who fooled everyone. If you don't know the story behind this whisky, let me tell you it is a fake but amazing one. It seems that somehow Ardbeg Marketing departments or something like that made sure, via unofficial websites and social networks, that a small part of this whisky had gone to space.... Yes, that is right, the myth was that a cask of whisky was sent to space in a shuttle to the international space station, and it matured for a little period and this was a scientific test to find out how whisky matured outside the planet earth. This of course did not happen, and Ardbeg limited to officially say that Ardbeg Gallileo is a tribute to a scientific discover of a space-related issue. Ok, now lets talk about the whisky. Bottled at 49%abv, and it has an age statement. It says distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2012. The whole label is misterious enough with a Rocket and the 1999 year all over it. Beautiful bottle though. It has been matured in ex bourbon barrels and finished in sicilian marsala red wine casks. On the nose, Lemon, Pear, very Acid-kind of aromas, there is your typical Ardbeg peat; Very Perfumed peat. Grapefruit, Vanilla and Toffee. On the palate, it is super smooth. Red fruits for a second, probably from the wine casks, then peat. Vanilla and Lemon also present. Finish has a burnt tobacco and peppery note. This is a very balanced whisky. Overall this is a great dram, a very collectible bottle, but it feels that it can be a little better in every aspect. Lovely but for the price, Uigeadail is a better option. 88/100

Ah man yet another great sample from VA.... thank you @LeeEvolved once again. Such a rich, oily balanced Ardbeg. A lot of the std stuff I have found has gone down hill these days Uggie etc just isn't the same and tasting older samples such as this prove it to me at least. In fact i'm an outlier in that I'm not a fan anymore or any of the std releases, 10, An Oa, Uggie etc. I much prefer the older bottlings, the pre 10, this, as well as the newer special releases the 19, Dark Cove, Kelpie (some are better than others). Only 3 drams in of my 12 dram set from LeeE... looking fwd to the rest!

A balanced Whisky, that was sent into space to finish-mature in zero gravity. The idea seemed like a science fiction at first but turned to science fact in 2011. It was distilled in 1999 then aged in both ex-Marsala & ex-Bourbon barrels for a 2012 launch. It has an aromatic birth with notes of pineapple slices, desiccated coconut, toffee, spice & phenolic peat; while a smoke-filled life adds notes of salt, cream & dried apricot; that led to a soft & sweet death with notes of earthy smoke. November 2017 / May 2018 / August 2022

Solid smoke, fruity, and floral balance from the peat in Marsala casks. Nose: Smoke, Salted Caramel, Tinned Pineapples, Strawberries, Salted Caramel, Iodine, Salted Cod, Sultanas, Raspberries, Violets, Lavender, Peaches Palate: Smoke, Raisins, Ioidines, Dark Chocolate, Pineapples, Bananas, Salted Caramel, Morello Cherries, Beef, Mangoes, Honey, Sultanas, Figs, Blackberries Finish: Raisins, Smoke, Salted Caramel, Cod, Hazlenuts, Almonds, Strawberries, Blackberries, Nutmeg