Yes you read that correctly in the title. This Hogshead Islay 13 is in fact an Ardbeg! How stunning is that, that this still young indie managed to get their hands on such a cask. I’m also partly flabbergasted that I actually guessed this one correctly blind (although back then I still suspected my guess to be wrong, because I just couldn’t imagine it really being an Ardbeg…).
Ardbeg casks are for sure not the easiest casks to come by. In fact, you almost never see an independently bottled Ardbeg. Hogshead Imports managed to snag up this cask though, and it might officially just say “Islay” on the bottle (it’s a “secret” Ardbeg), they’ve been fairly open about where the spirit comes from.
This dram completely blew me away, even before I knew officially what it was. This is old school Ardbeg. Full steam ahead on the peat we love and not too many gimmicks after that. A dram that makes one fall in love all over again with the distillery. Tasting it blind I immediately wrote down to buy myself a bottle. Upon finding out that this was indeed an Ardbeg I was also confronted with a hefty price tag. Which in all honesty is completely fair for an Indie Ardbeg, but also one that sits just outside of my comfortzone. But boy was it good… Let’s see how long I can resist picking it up while it’s still available…
Have I already told you this is an Ardbeg? Just kidding, I’ve been drambling on about it this entire article, my apologies. Before we delve into the tasting notes I just want to express a quick note of appreciation to Hogshead Imports own Toon and Stijn though. They’ve created such a cool community with the Hoggies and they bottle some amazing stuff. Keep up the good work guys!
Tasting Notes: Hogshead Islay 13 (Ardbeg)
Stats:
Distillery: Ardbeg
Age: 13 years old
Bottled by: Hogshead Imports
ABV: 55,8%
Chill-filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Nose:
Burnt grass, with a bit of tar, molasses and just a touch of diesel. Peaty & Funky at the same time! This is a lovely nose for peatheads for sure!
Palate:
Maraschino cherries, molasses and dried strawberries at first. But those notes are immediately swept away by a wave of peat in the form of burnt matches, black pepper, iodine, and charred bacon bits. This is my Jam!
Finish:
The finish is long and evolving, going back and forth between savoury and peaty notes. A beautiful interplay of two sides of the flavour spectrum. Peppered roast beef and barrel aged maple syrup are the notes that come most prominent to mind here.
