Ardbeg 2012 Day

The Day was okay. Nothing to write home about. Do I regret buying a mere glass of the Day? Heck, no. Great experience. Would I buy a bottle? But I might buy another glass at some point, sooner rather than later because the bottles at my favorite pub won't last forever.

When Ardbegs are on, they are really on. And when they are "off" they are usually only off by a few degrees. In the case of the Day, I would not say it is "off." It's just not lock, stock and smoking barrels "on."

Notes:

Schnozola: That sweet Ardbeg peat comes through loud and clear. Nice round notes, strong but not sharp. Some spicy fruits: Persimmon, canary melon, stone fruits. Anaheim pepper. And then the sweet kicks in with vanilla bean, and brown sugar. All the while the peat is washing over the other elements like a fire in the hearth.

Mouth: Powerful yet not flinty or sharp. Not oily but not thin. Not as oily as Uigeadail or Alligator. The sherry intermingles with the peat and just a touch of seaweedy goodness that says Islay. I also detect a slight waxiness that reminds me vaguely of Clynelish, but it's turned down low in the mix, like the echo of bagpipes in the mountains . . . far far away. Or perhaps a sasquatch call. Yes, I've heard those, as well. Sasquatches are most definitely real. Now, as to what they are, I could not tell you. Hominid? Most likely, and another smattering of weirdness thrown into the mix. Then again, our technology seems confusing to just about any other animal. Okay, so one animal on earth has stuff that confuses us. Not terribly bad odds, I'd say. I've camped around sasquatches many many times without actually seeing one. Heard them break branches, yes. Bang their chests, yes. Shout their gibberish at each other, along with many different other calls. Yes, and half a dozen or so of my friends have been camping with me at times and heard the show, as well.

Finish on the Ardbeg Day is medium length, not long. Satisfying and the peat lingers longest.

So why wasn't I gaga for this one? The flavors were not as harmoniously mixed. I suspect it doesn't have some of the older Ardbeg mixed in that I so love in the Beist and the older Uigeadails.

Does age matter when it comes to scotch? Yes, most of the time, with the exception of young brooding peat monsters like some of the Bruichladdich offerings.

Which scotch would I like to drink right now: a Talisker 10 or a Talisker 18? The 18, hands down. Or how about the Caol Ila 12 or the Caol Ila 25. The 25. Why? It's damned good, that's why. I don't care what the reviews on it say. Laphroaig 10 or Laphroaig 18? Neither. I'll take the Cask Strength, which is pure and unadulterated Laphroaig goodness.

Now, with Ardbegs, the 10 or the pre-2012 Uigeadail with older stuff mixed in? The pre Uigie every single time. Every single time. The Alligator or the Beist? Well, the Beist is more complex but the Alligator can be wonderful. In that case, it all depends upon my mood. The Beist has older Ardbeg mixed in while the Alligator does not.

I can't say for a fact, but I suspect that the Day does not have much of the older casks in it. That is why I don't care for it quite as much as some of the other special offerings. How does Day stack up against the Ardbog or the Galileo? Better. I like it better than those two, IMHO.

The Galileo is nice, but the elements don't blend as harmoniously as in the Day. Sometimes a bit of cacophony is nice though. I have enjoyed the Galileo from time to time, to be sure.

Still, the Day is more impressive to me. As for the Ardbog, I don't like it much at all. I would say it's down with the 10 in my book.

I dearly loved the older 10's (back in "the day" so to speak), but these days, eh, no, not so much. Then again, you guessed it, the older pre-2009 10's had older stuff mixed in, along with the Ten year casks! Tru dat! I was quite surprised that Whiskybase rated the Day so highly. It's just not an 88.25 to me. Still, this said, if our scale had tenths of a point, I might go 86.45.

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