Ardbeg Galileo

Name: Ardbeg Galileo
Brand: Ardbeg
SKU: 34525
Rating: 87.19 (941 reviews)

Overall rating: 87.19/100
votes: 941

Category: Single Malt
Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Vintage: 1999
Bottled: 06.2012
Stated Age: 12 years old
Casktype: ex-Marsala and ex-Bourbon Casks
Number of bottles: 15000
Strength: 49.0 % Vol.
Size: 50 ml 700 ml 750 ml 4500 ml
Bottle code: L12 16x
Barcode: 5010494911817
Added on: 15 Aug 2012 11:24 am

Average value

€ 312.04

Found 36 online shops. Lowest price:

€ 210.00

	The Whisky Exchange	£ 399.00

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Default bottling

There are 3 other releases…

Whisky Reviews for Ardbeg Galileo

111 users have left a review for this whisky and scored it an average of 87.19 points

hs305 scored this whisky 89 points
03 May 2017 9:52 am

[October, 2012] I had this dram during a Prof. Schobert "Islay" tasting at Bonn.

In my old rating system (ten scales that translate into WB points: 50 - 66 - 75 - 80 - 82,5 - 85 - 87,5 - 90 - 92,5 - 95) I scored it 87,5. My notes state I would have scored it 90 points without these slight unpleasant sulphurous notes. Nevertheless I bought a bottle.
schero scored this whisky 90 points
28 Jul 2017 11:45 pm
That's exactly how I like Ardbeg. Delicious

Nose

Restrained Ardbeg smoke, very ashy and sweet, accompanied by wine barrels, sweet grapes, milk chocolate, cotton candy, light roasted aromas, roasted almonds

Taste

Short sweet grapes, then takes the subtle smoke, beautiful creamy with light peppery, very light oak

Finish

Aromatic peat smoke with oak flavor and the sweetness sticking to the palate
Robinzon25 scored this whisky 88 points
01 Oct 2019 12:22 am
I liked Galileo, there is nothing special about him, but he is a very nice and well-tailored molt.

Nose

Spicy, perfumery and certainly smoky. Tar, sole, tires, laundry soap, sprouted potatoes. The moist oceanic air is adjacent to the smell of Moroccan spices, dried fruits and genuine leather.

Taste

Brackish, smoky enough with notes of bread and tropical fruits

Finish

Medium duration. At first there was a lot of fragrant thick smoke, then vanilla and linden honey replaced it. In the end, pleasant echoes of brown bread and hot smoked mackerel remain in the mouth.
SAND scored this whisky 87 points
22 Apr 2020 11:11 pm

(Tasted blind)
APPEARANCE: Deep golden/bronze colour.
NOSE: Islay peat! Quite sweet peat smoke, something medicinal, Laphroaig? (87p) Opens up more with water and becomes sweeter (88p)
TASTE: Some juniper, sweet smoke but not much citrus or medicinal. With water; a bit more oily and sweet. (87-88p)
FINISH: Dry, smoky and long. (87-88p)
OVERALL: Total score 87 points.
Archer scored this whisky 89 points
18 Apr 2020 10:08 pm
The ex-Marsala Casks and the Ardbeg DNA harmonize perfectly here, fruit aromas and smoke complement each other perfectly - and the lack of buckling in the finish is extremely pleasing.

Nose

89 89

Fruity nose: berries, grapes, black cherries. A fine herbal vapor, not too intense, not too fluffy. Mild smoke, not intrusive, only as a companion to the fruit.

Taste

90 90

Soft and creamy with an initial dryness. Ashy smoke mixed with sweet grapes, blackberries, raspberries. Dry, cracked leather, dusty oak floorboards. Harvested grain. Hazelnut chocolate. Brings an intense aroma mixture to the tongue. Doesn't get much drier than at the beginning, only mild herbs.

Finish

89 89

Medium to long with sweet berries, grapes, raisins, nougat, marzipan, pepper.
didi1893 scored this whisky 90 points
16 Feb 2020 7:10 pm
Usually Ardbeg absolutely does not match my prey scheme and this Galileo really inspires me. Powerful peat and voluminous smoke are tamed by sweet grapes and creamy milk chocolate. I don't lose a lot of words: tastes great, I'm impressed!

23/22/23/22 (90P)

Nose

Cloudy amber rests in the glass, on the glass wall of my Premium Snifter occasionally oily and syrupy "legs" pull their tracks back into the glass. Sweet smoke aroma rises slightly ashy, dry logs catch fire while sweet grapes and berries exude their lovely aroma. Little by little, wonderfully soft peat and caramel come into their own, malty aromas of cereal rise, citrus fruits fall into creamy milk chocolate. The nose changes constantly between bewitchingly fruity sweetness and smoky campfire, wonderful!

Taste

The Galileo flows over the tongue in a smoky and peaty manner, at the same time biting sharpness and dark smoke set in. Wooden spiciness mixes with pepper and salt, ash and embers dissolve from burnt wood aromas, citrus fruits wrapped in bacon are grilled while a greasy film is laid gently over the tongue. Old walnuts rest on the tongue, plump warmth floods the palate, after a few moments whole milk chocolate and roasted malt melt with caramel and toffee. There is minimal abrasion from orange peel and zest from sour grapefruit. Smoky peat surrounds the tongue, fly ash settles on the palate, warm and cozy blurring taste and aftertaste.

Finish

Suddenly my salivation starts. Warm smoke and old wooden elements still stick to the palate, sweet grapes and berries stick to the cheeks, whole milk chocolate melts under the tongue. A few drops of lemon juice drip on the tongue, the incredibly voluminous warmth does not fade away. Walnuts and peat are remembered for a long time.
face scored this whisky 87 points
18 Sep 2019 8:28 am
Nose

82 82

Taste

89 89

Finish

89 89
schengel10 scored this whisky 91 points
18 Mar 2019 9:55 pm
... and again a Ardbeg with age! This 12-year-old was allowed to mature in Marsala barrels and enchanted the experts in 2012.
A top malt!
[Color gold;

Nose

Ardbeg nose, sweet smoke, behind red fruits, oak;

Taste

mild onset, powerfully swelling, (ham) smoke, sweetness, fruity grapes, plums, tingling, warming, a lot of spicy oak;

Finish

medium length finish; sweet smoke sounds long after;
St. Pauli scored this whisky 87 points
13 Oct 2016 11:54 pm
A good whisky, no doubt about this. At current prices, I would skip this one and fetch an Uigeadail instead.

Nose

It's quite a mellow nose for an Ardbeg. It's not as briny as it can be. Actually, it's more on dry smoke (bonfire). Next, there are some anchovies, but within boundaries. It's ashy, sooty, with some earthy elements of licorice and gentian. The combination of sherry sweetness and acidity fits perfectly here.

Taste

Rather oily, medium salty, with only gentle smoke. The anchovies get louder, along with salted (and smoked) almonds, cured ham, lime juice (yes, still) and only a hint of fruit. Later, there is some tobacco too.

Finish

Moderate, leaving a combination of only a little sweetness, but mostly sherry influenced acidity and a tannic mouthfeel. Smoked and roasted almonds dominate, together with spice, dry sherry, and pepper.
The Macallan scored this whisky 91 points
03 Jun 2015 9:23 pm

A quick note made on 30-05-2015 at Ardbeg Day

Rich, lovely sherry notes, gentle, smokey and a very pleasant finish.

Quite stunning.

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