Ardbeg 1976 Samaroli

Samaroli is a legendary Italian bottler.

Colour: straw. Nose: ah, now we’re talking! It’s not yet an overly expressive one but we certainly get more aromas, such as ripe pears (beurrée hardy), liquorice, orange juice, melon, hints of cologne, camphor and eucalyptus leaves… Little peat again, that is. Mouth: creamy, almost thick, probably more balanced and less raw than the Cadenhead. Yet, it’s powerful, superbly lemony (drops), compact… Lots of orange marmalade, herb liqueur, fir honey, grilled Japanese tea (Hochicha)… The finish is a little sweeter but nicely orangey and bitter (err, just like bitter oranges). Excellent, very satisfying even if it’s not really complex. 90 points via whiskyfun