[MM-MALTS-L] Ardbeg Supernova

[Davin de Kergommeaux]

Ralph and all,

Here are notes I got from Luca Chichizola reviewing the Supernova:

Well, I have just had my first dram of Ardbeg Supernova... Still no
definitive tasting notes (I prefer to try it again a few times), but
here are my first impressions...

I was expecting a wild beast, a true hurricane, a blast of peat.
Something so powerful that it might grow (more) hair on my chest,
something so brutal that even one sip might make weak ones faint.

Not so.

Actually, I found it much more delicate than expected. Even drinkable
at cask strength without the unpleasant feeling of licking freshly
laid tar on a road. Of course, with water it improves and becomes even
smoother, but it surprised me in being much less aggressive than,
let's say, the Very Young Ardbeg.

Can you feel the 100ppm peat? Actually I think there either is a
saturation level, or taste and smell works like other senses like
hearing and vision: doubling the ppm does not result in double an
impact on the palate and nose (our senses are logarithmic, in case you
didn't know). So, it actually is only slightly more peaty and smoky
than other young Ardbeg cask strength expressions. I have no
comparison with the Octomore, which I have never had an occasion to
taste. But I slightly prefer it to the PC7, for example (which is a
bit astringent and butyric, IMHO).

Compared to the Very Young/Still Young/Almost There/Renaissance, I
found the Supernova "cleaner": less organic, green, vegetal notes.
Much more straightforward, purer, and very smooth (though certainly
not wimpy!). Very Ardbeg, of course. Alas, it's also very simple...
and that is its main "fault". But not unpleasant at all, far from
that: actually better than the majority of most modern peat monsters.

Davin
On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 2:42 AM, john marrinan <john.marrinan at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> There's some tasting notes on Spirit of Islay for this one. Gordon loves, needless to say.
>
> On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 3:48 AM, Jeff Kinzli <kinzli at kinzlicoils.com> wrote:
>>
>> I got the card, too. I checked in with my local supplier, they said
>> $125US per bottle. So, I figured I'd hold off. Sounds interesting, but
>> I'm not sure I want a whole bottle at 100ppm!
>>
>> -J
>>
>> On Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 10:25, Ralph Katzenell <ralphoosh at 012.net.il> wrote:
>> > Well, I've had my Committee member postcard from Ardbeg, all about the Ardbeg Supernova test launch at 100 ppm. No advice or return form as to how to go about purchasing. Its a moot point, as 100 ppm might be just a wee bitty on the high side for me.
>> >
>> > But can anyone post some notes on this?
>> >
>> > Ralph
>> >
>> >
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