Ardbeg 19-Year Traigh Bhan Batch 5
46.2% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Begins with malted grain and spices, orange-lime citrus, and tropical fruit atop a sweet, heavy peat smoke.
Taste: Zesty fruit and moderate to light peat smoke, tropical fruits and citrus. Very light oak.
Finish: Bright fruits, moderate peat smoke, hints of fresh wood, and spices.
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 humidity". Batch No. TB/05-12.02.2004/23.GM
Tasting Notes (Official): "Sweet Mango. Maple Bacon. Soot." Bottled in humidity, this rare small batch 19 Year Old Ardbeg is arguably the most tropical dram to leave the Distillery. Notes of fresh green peppers, smoked mango and guava mingle with maple bacon on the nose. A deep smokiness gives waves of aniseed, burnt heather, and spiced chive. A satifyingly long, sizzling finish brings with it notes of warm toffee fudge and smoked butter.
Tasted 13 March 2024. (Posted 15 April 2024.)
