Ardbeg 32 yo 1967 / 1999 OMC 43.1%

Ardbeg 32 yo 1967 / 1999 OMC 43.1%
So! Ancient teak wood, still oily and dark, thick black smoke acrid and dry, lampblack, tar and combusting coals along the shore, salt air and pine trees crowded out in the best possible way by petrochemical sludge. Despite the earthy aromatics like vetiver root, unsweetened licorice and dry loam, and the coastal aspects, an unyielding heaviness weighs down the whisky. On the tongue as well, liquid smoke, moldering leaf litter, bitter amaro, dark woods redolent with tree oils and bitter barks, black ink and char, but the sharpness of salt and sea doesn’t quite get out from under all that, and a quick finish ensure it doesn’t get a later chance to reassert itself as well. Still, a rare experience to try such an old Ardbeg, and one should seize every such opportunity. 87 pts