Ardbeg 17 yo 1973/1991 (55.4%, Dun Eideann, Donato Import, Italy, cask #3933, 450 bottles) 
In my short experience, 1973 at Ardbeg could be either stunning, or, err, bizarre… Was the rectifier working intermittently? Colour: amber. Nose: how many whiskies are there that combine heavy peat and sherry in such an otherworldly manner? Port Ellen 12 James Mac Arthur? Ardbeg 1976 Feis Ile? Laphroaig 1974 OB? Caol Ila 15 yo Manager’s Dram? Kingsburies? Maybe ten. Okay, twenty. Tasting notes? Nope. With water: it’s like a very, very old Madeira – if you see what I mean. Very gamy and beautifully so. Mouth (neat): bang-bang-bang-bang! Okay, it’s maybe not as utterly brilliant as on the nose when neat but what a fab combo! Let’s keep this short: peat and sherry can sometimes create a third dimension, and that’s what’s happening here. With water: this is very funny, it became extremely fruity, not unlike a sangria (made with Alvaro Palacios’ best ;-)). Blood oranges galore, strawberries, blackberries, big fat juicy ripe black cherries… That was unexpected! Finish: more sangria ;-) plus a lot of smoke – of course. Comments: weren’t those tasting notes almost void of any tasting notes? Seriously, this Dun Eideann is one of the most entertaining whiskies I could ever taste. SGP:658 - 94 points.
