serendipity
- Distillery
- Ardbeg
- Style
- Vatted Malt
- Release
- Unspecified
- Age
- 12 Years
- Alcohol
- 40% abv.
- Region
- Scotland, Islay
- Bottled For
- Distillery
Serendipity – pity to waste it! Noun – the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way A recent such mix-up occurred at Ardbeg. The result was the creation of a supreme blended malt whisky made up of two parts 1992 Glen Moray to eight parts of a very much older Ardbeg. Bottled at 40% and chill-filtered, Serendipity is at once characteristically peaty and refreshingly light – a rare opportunity to experience a lighter taste of Islay. And the effect is quite outstanding. So outstanding, in fact, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was deliberate.
review by dr.whisky
- Color
- Navajo White
- Nose
- Sweetness comes off first, bourbony vanilla. Then comes the dirtiness. Peat, feet, sweat, diapers/nappies. Wet stone(?), moss, earth. Still sweet, creamy (Coffee Mate?) and these flavours arrive together, beautifully united rather than on two separate planes, which is unexpected.
- Body
- Medium to thin, soft.
- Palate
- Vanilla, peat and chocolate. Smoking while changing a diaper (like in the good ole days... can you imagine seeing that today? we would all turn up our noses, no doubt). Baby powder, and skin. The initial attack of flavour is SO pleasant, like a bubble popping that contained essence of sweet cakes, vanilla, fire and flatulence(okay, maybe not so pleasant, but great in context of this whisky's character).
- Finish
- Medium length, smoke. About 5 minutes later I had a nasty metallic and chlorine like taste in my mouth.
This stuff isn't pretty, but it is pretty drinkable. Serendipity is a great whisky and is probably the most guilt-free way to quaff 30yr old Ardbeg. Although with its limited availability, those guilt-free days are numbered.
This could be the perfect dram for blackjack nights or house parties with friends and peers.