[February, 2004]  I had this during the 5th Anniversary Tasting of MaRa at Limburg.

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.  As this was the "dram for the road" I took no notes anymore...

The line-up of this tasting was absolutely stunning:

- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/20560/bowmore-25-year-old
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/1222/tamnavulin-1966-forrester
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/81686/highland-park-1956
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/17254/macallan-1958
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/37427/talisker-12-year-old
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/14320/springbank-1966-private-bottling
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/1290/ardbeg-1976-cask-2396
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/28465/ben-nevis-1966
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/7297/bowmore-1956
- https://www.whiskybase.com/whisky/764/ardbeg-ten-cask-strength

Yes, this was flabbergasting even by the high standards of the early 2000's...

Tasted at San Francisco whisky Club's Ardbegeddon Dec. 2016.

The original 10year is superb. Far superior to what we get these days.

Complex classic Ardbeg flavor profile. Sweet fruits and sour notes intermingle harmoniously.

ARDBEG 10yo CASK STRENGTH / 57.8% OB Sweet peat, smoky, meaty, powerful fragrance Sweetness of wheat, smoky, light taste feeling peet with iodine Alcohol is powerful, but it is not piercing. A moderate sweet pete feeling powerfully and firmly remaining finish. http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/distilled1973/41367754.html

Malty ans smoky aroma, vanilla, ripe banana, mint, barbequed apples, cardamom, nutmeg, floral honey, dry hay, lime and fir branches. Marzipan sweet and tary taste, eucalyptus, pepper, juniper berries, vanilla, ripe orange, smoked ham and parsley. Long, smoky, spicy and malty end.

A rare bottling of 10 year old Ardbeg at Cask Strength. This was a very

limited release to the Japanese market in 2003.

This was a very limited release to the Japanese market in 2003.