Overall rating
88.57/100
ratings
30
Whiskybase ID
WB36657
Category
Single Malt
Bottler
Adelphi (AD)
Vintage
1999
Bottled
2012
Stated Age
13 years
Cask Type
Refill Sherry Cask
Cask number
5873
Number of bottles
291
Strength
56.6 %
Size
700 ml
Added on
21 oct 2012 11:29 am
UncoloredNon-chill FilteredCask StrengthSingle Cask Whisky
Photo by Doctorbrain
Overall rating
88.57/100
ratings
30

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Whisky reviews for Breath of Islay 1999 AD

9 users have left 10 reviews for this whisky. Average rating is 88.57 points.

Read the reviews
  1. Totoro scored this whisky 90 points Connoisseur

    [Blindtasting Notes]

    I correct my initial reluctance about the distillery, put everything on one card and say: Ardbeg, an old batch of Uigeadail.
    • Nose
      90 90
      Hmmmm, is there minimal sulfur involved? It definitely has a certain pepperiness that seems to extend its tentacles towards the aroma of gunpowder. A lot of smoke, not too old, sherry barrel (aaaaaah, wait a minute, or wine barrel, I'm learning), that's it for now. Could be a typical whisky on the palate that doesn't have any big waves in the nose, but then hits all the more in the mouth. So I'm already noticing that I can't give any distillery tips here. UA Bowmore, I already had Ledaig the other day, I could guess that again, but I can't find any real clues. First about 87 points.
      ....
      Aaaaaaber then, after the first sip, the penny drops and the flavors emerge with new clarity. Perhaps the service life has done the rest. Leather, dried fruit, currants, venerable sherry cask, super differentiated, crystal clear (huh?) Peat smoke, slightly "farmy" and herbal-tart ... Now we are easily at 90 points. And (see below) at Ardbeg.
    • Taste
      90 90
      Yo, as I suspected: this is where the show really starts. Great sweet and sour start, slightly vinous, the barrel forms the first third, the smoke only really sets in from the middle and then steers the whole thing increasingly towards tart herbs and campfires. Very drinkable without water. On the palate it almost reminds me of the Ardbeg Uigeadail - maybe an older batch? I recently had a bottling from 2013 (and yesterday a ten from around 2016), which comes very close to this in this special mixture of old sherry cask and young, strong smoke. Funnily enough, after the first sip, the nose also gains significantly in complexity and thus one or two points.
    • Finish
      91 91
      The smoke dominates with herbal, spicy, tart aromas, the (sherry or wine) barrel only sets a restrained counterpoint with juicy sweetness and minimal acidity. Really cool: the finish has its own development again, it always goes back and forth between sweet and tart, and sour red fruits flash again and again. Incredibly long, a real grenade.

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