The first thing I have to say about the Whisky Broker 1992 Ardbeg 21 Year Old is… really guys? Bottled on October 30th? You couldn’t wait just 1 more day and have yourself a Halloween bottle? And on a year ending in 13 nonetheless! Now you’re going to have to wait another 98 years for that opportunity. C’mon Whisky Broker, get your head in the game!
All 1/2 kidding aside, this was my least favorite of the 21 year old Ardbegs I tried for Ardbeg April, which is why it’s going first. I felt like ending it on a down note would be, you know, a downer. Though by saying that it’s my least favorite of a small group of overaged Ardbegs isn’t like saying it’s my least favorite Canadian whisky. It’s still really darn good and would never pass up a glass if offered… and neither should you.
Whisky Broker 1992 Ardbeg 21 Year Old Info
Region: Islay
Distiller: Ardbeg
Age: 21 years
ABV: 42.5%
Price: $250+
Non-Chill Filtered
Natural Color
Cask Strength
Whisky Broker 1992 Ardbeg 21 Year Old Review
EYE
White grape juice
NOSE
Vanilla, complex fruit, peat, wolf berries and graham lay a solid foundation for some lighter notes of yellow cake, leather, citrus, spearmint, bit o’ honey and a malty sweetness to build on. There is a Machine Shop character of metal and oil that comes through more towards the tail of a sniff, but adds a great dimension to the softer, more organic, aromas.
PALATE
What the hell happened here? The nose was incredible, but the palate is virtually dead. Vanilla, muddled fruit, spice, peat, yellow cake and old wood are all that I’m picking up. Even adding just a wee bit of water didn’t help, in fact adding a few drops of water pretty much destroyed what was there.
FINISH
Long, fruity and peaty with hints of smoked meat, spice and wood.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
The individual components are well balanced, but the huge disconnect between nose and palate leave it feeling lopsided. Round body with a silken texture.
OVERALL
Whisky Broker 1992 Ardbeg 21 Year Old is confusing at best. The nose is explosive, deep and rich. The palate on the other hand is sparse and shallow. The cavernous disconnect doesn’t get better with water or time. I don’t know what happened, but the palate being comparatively dead was really disconcerting. However, I feel like I need to insert a caveat and say that while the palate wasn’t as rich as the nose, what was there was still nice.
SCORE: 86/100 (range given since it was not tasted at home)
