Ardbeg 1974 (cask #3328 for Italy)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Having another Ardbeg 1974 single cask is always a treat, but with only 76 bottles this is also one of the rarest 1974’s around. Cask 3328 was released for the Italian market in September 2006.

Ardbeg 32 yo 1974
(53,5%, OB for Italy 2006, bourbon cask #3328, 76 btl.)

Nose: starts a bit heavy and heady, it’s definitely not a softie. Sharp lemon zest, walnut skins and plenty of medicinal notes. Brings along some sweeter notes like sugared almonds, herbal honey and wax candles. Great evolution and even better with a drop of water: it becomes smoother with lots of vanilla.

Mouth: very powerful again. Huge sooty notes, hot ashes and a kippery side. Leather. Then some sweet and herbal notes, becoming slightly bitter as in herbal liqueur or cough syrup. Dark roast coffee. I prefer this with a few drops of water again, it seems a little unbalanced at full strength.

Finish: very long, with vanilla notes, earthy peat and hints of grapefruit.

Another wonderful Ardbeg 1974, but it takes some fiddling with water to find the optimal strength to unleash its magic. Around € 2300 if you find one.

Score: 94/100