Ardbeg 19-Year Traigh Bhan Batch 3
46.2% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Wet dunnage floor, with light oak, and an antiseptic, medicinal peat dusted in citrus and spices. Spritely.
Taste: Traigh Bhan has a heavy mouthfeel. Moderate peat smoke, a mechanic’s rag, lemon and other citrus.
Finish: Leaving a strong herbal remedy, mint, citrus and rich peat smoke.
I tasted three Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19-Year batches side-by-side. Batch 3, 4, and 5. I had purchased Batch 5 recently and Batch 3 is the heel from a good friend, that I also obtained recently. I’ve had Batch 4 the longest—so I "know it" the best. I am going to be as impartial as I need to be to judge each whisky against my own tastebuds! What a Happy Whisky Wednesday it was when I wrote these notes.
After the nose, I feel like Batch 5 has a lead on the scoreboard but Batch 3 and 4 are close behind and in stiff competition between each other.
Tasting in release order, the Traigh Bhan Batch 4 seems to have greater complexity than Batch 3. Then there is Batch 5… which completely surprised me. It is almost as if I tasted not just three separate batches, but three separate distilleries. Traigh Bhan Batch 3 tastes like Ardbeg, Batch 4 could fool me it’s Ardbeg, and Batch 5 a funky Bowmore. Really cool to experience the batch variation in a product that is otherwise meant to be fairly similar, in terms of how it’s put together with different barrels.
Overall, wow. I think this is going to motivate me to buy (and open!) more batches to experience the vertical. In fact, I have two Laphroaig 10-Year Cask Strength batches open, Batch 13 and 15, but I am yet to open Batch 14—that’ll happen a lot sooner now!
Details: Traigh Bhan always has an interesting phrase on the label—this one says "Bottled: In a lockdown". Batch No. TB/03-10.10.01/21.BL
Tasting Notes (Official): "Zesty. Aniseed. Walnuts." Exceptionally rare, this small batch 19 Year Old Ardbeg displays billowing wood smoke, bracing fresh seaspray and lime zest on the nose. A rich sappiness gives way to tarry rope and treacle toffee, with waves of aniseed, walnut and gentle spice. A long finish carries bitter almonds and clove in its wake, slowly drifting away.
Tasted 13 March 2024. (Posted 15 April 2024.)
