Ardbeg Hypernova

A hypernova is the stupendously energetic result of a massive star (30 times our Suns mass) collapsing in on itself, forming a rotating black hole and emitting twin astrophysical jets surrounded by an accretion disk and a luminosity that is 10 times greater than that of an entire galaxy. Ardbeg are making a big call with this naming. I am looking for a density and depth of flavour unparalleled and with the ability to eject new flavours and experiences from whisky that leave me blinded by its force. And for AU$399 a bottle I think that would be a reasonable expectation. Let’s find out.. N: Powerful yet restrained. Heavy with salty tar and straw bales. This already reminds me of summers creosoting stable blocks… A lifting brightness of menthol offsets what I thought would be an overwhelming smoke (this is claimed to be Ardbegs smokiest beast). The smoke is interesting, not so much wood smoke, but more chemical fire smoke like petrol, the peaty presence is clear but smoky is a difficult claim to make. Super curious. The longer I sit on this the more I think there may be a delicate floral note. P: Boom. There it is. That is a bit of a monster, oily clingy and laden with liquid smoke whacks you with pepper, a chared beef mixed with a slightly metallic grill pan, almond, aniseed, clove, iodine, salt There is a lot going on here. It’s super dense though and hard to find whats going on. F: Long. Smoke is all encompassing and has an aromatic tobacco quality with a strong pepper bite. A dash of water, now things get interesting. The nose softens and expands into a very subtle wild berry tart fruitiness and the menthol turns to peppermint. The palate calms significantly the brine builds, the fatty meaty bite rounds and loses its metallic undertone, some chocolate creamy texture builds and even introduces a crisp slightly toffee apple freshness with a beautiful waxy lemon rind. The finish doesn’t seem to vary much but the pepper has subsided. Was this stupendous on a galactic scale? No. Was this none the less, huge, complex, energetic, and bursting with everything but the kitchen sink? Yeah, just about. I enjoyed this, a lot, downsides, is it just a little too dense leading to palate exhaustion? Perhaps. I’m not qualified to judge, I’m neither a whisky expert nor an astrophysicist. Also, perhaps their peatiest whisky ever but yhis doesnt come close to the smoke presence of others. As good as this was, I don’t think an AU$400 price tag is warranted when I think a regular Port Charlotte 10 is probably just as good to better. I know Ardbeg die hards will tell me I’m wrong, Distiller whisky taste #227 [Pictured here with another wee beastie a trilobite called Coltraneia oufatenensis, named after the jazz legend John Coltrane. This chap came for Jebel Issomour in Morocco and is about 393-382 million years old. When it comes to the best eyes in the animal kingdom, past or present, trilobites are hard to beat. These eyes are probably the best of the best. The enormous eyes take up approximately half the width of the head suggesting a vital need for excellent vision] Ardbeg running scores: Ardbeg 10: 4.25/5 Wee Beastie: 3/5 Corryvreckan: 4.5/5 An oa: 4/5 Hypernova 2022: 4.25/5

Body looks thin in the glass. A swirl coats, but quickly trails to stasis with a few thin tendrils lingering for less than a minute. Nose is patent Ardbeg - Dry hay, dry peat, pear, a whiff of diesel and sea salt potato chips. It's good, but not all that different from the 10yr. Palate is surprisingly sweet to start, and those pears on the nose become charred and salted on the tongue, offering a nice balance of sweet and savory. The peat finally shows up mid-palate, but it's not rude or obtrusive, and instead adds depth to what had become a fairly monotone, albeit enjoyable, taste. The peat carries the mid-palate from briny seaweed to dry cigar ash on the close, with the ashy smoke hanging around for 10-15 seconds. I love Laphroaig, but I keep trying to find a second favorite and my brain keeps telling me it should be Ardbeg. Which means I've had more Ardbeg releases than I care to admit. I've had a lot of committee bottles, the Anthology series, the special releases, and all of the core range. Some were winners (Scorch, Airigh Nam Beist, Harpy's Tale), some are consistent repeat winners (10, Wee Beastie) and some are not worthy of the hype (most of the 19yr range, for example). This Hypernova release falls in the latter category. It's tasty. I enjoy it. It's nothing special. It's expensive. I'm not going to say I regret buying it, but my brain keeps telling me I could have had 2 bottles of Laphy 10 CS plus a Wee Beastie for the same price. And I like those a lot more. I'd tell anyone who isn't an Ardbeg-head to find it in a bar or a sample pack before you commit to a full bottle. And if you are an Ardbeg-head, it will slot nicely into the back of the bottom shelf between your rarely touched bottles of Drum, Ardcore, and that really dusty Perpetuum that you just can't bring yourself to finish.

Ardbeg's 2022 committee release was an exciting one, their "smokiest" expression to this date (allegedly) with 170 ppm of peat, of course we are talking about Hypernova. If you have ever tasted the "Supernova" expressions, you probably know those ones are arguably the best from this Islay Distillery. That is why Hypernova, promised so much. As you might already know, a Supernova is the explosion of a star; while a Hypernova is a greater explosion where the core of a star that became a supernova, crashes into a black hole. Bottled at 51%abv, this has a pale straw color. On the nose, it has a classic Ardbeg note. Mint, taxi air freshener, lime, spicy and some tequila notes. It resembles a lot to an Octomore. Povidone, vaseline, Vick's Vaporub, shoe polish, and an old toy from He-Man and the Masters of the universe.  After a first sip it gave me wet paint. On the palate, it starts with a white chocolate note and then a full herbal note; tea and moss. Red chilli. There is not much on the finish. Moss, chilli, herbal tea. Very short aftertaste. Overall, this was very dissapointing. Marketed as "the smokiest Ardbeg ever" and it did not gave me one bit of smoke. Peat sometimes is not equal to smoke. It is not overly powerful to feel like a Hypernova and it is certainly weaker that every one of the Supernova expressions. Linear, simple and boring. It felt like a junior version of an Octomore (which i am not the fondest fan). My score for this very normal whisky is 84 over 100, and for the price it goes, this should be avoided.

In prefixing the syllable “hype” to its third special edition of the year, Ardbeg risks suggesting it is thumbing its nose at anyone who dares question the velocity of its release schedule. At face value this is an evolution of its long established and loved Supernova series but the long-term Ardbeg follower could be forgiving for questioning whether it will shoot to the same stellar heights. A healthy pour at the New York launch event yields good news. The nose is a cool and minty peat, with lime, chocolate and a touch of heather. It’s sweet, citrusy and tangy in the mouth, like a chocolate lime candy. The finish is long, smokey, sweet and a little bitter — the image of licking a smoked fish came to mind. It's certainly peatier than the Ardbeg 10 but not as off-the-charts as the most extreme Octomores. All in all, it’s a decent dram and I’d gladly add a bottle to the home bar were the price more reasonable.

Aroma is all smoke, so heavy it's sharp. I can barely detect anything else. Flavor is a little much. It's less the fun peat and fire of ardbeg and more ashtray and charcoal. Body is fine, whiskey flavors are good , but the smoke is the wrong flavor. More ash than peat. I never thought I'd find an ardbeg too smoky for me but this flavor just isn't hitting.

Chemically, high pitched peat, and ground after rain on the nose. Some smokeiness as well. More vegetal, earthy, peat smoke than the other bbq style smoke from other ardbegs on the palate. Intense ashtray smoke and peat on the finish. Overall, fairly sanitized tasting like a hospital. Funky and unique.