Once in a while, you come across a unicorn. Those limited edition bottles that everyone says is awesome, but were launched and drunk before you came to know whisky, before you were born even. And then you see it in a secluded shop in the middle of nowhere. Continuing with the Taiwan theme, this bottle was bought by XT after I told him I spotted it in Taiwan. I would have bought it, but did not have sufficient cash on hand then.
It was only at his place a couple of days ago that I realized that this was of 58.9% abv. Which makes it the first public release of the Ardbeg Supernova. This was, I think, one of the rarer times when the committee release was of the same abv as the public release, based on what I'm seeing on Whiskybase. So, an older release. Which is apt, since the light from Supernovas only reach Earth many light years after the actual event (that's pushing the analogy, isn't it...)
This is, in a way, a belated make-up for not being able to go to Feis Ile (why do I need an excuse??)
Ardbeg Supernova (abv 58.9%)
Nose - Nothing but peat and smoke. Lots of charcoal fire. A really roaring flame. Give it some time, and a touch of vanilla and honey. What are they roasting in that flame?? A sharp edge throughout, on lemons...grapefruit? With water: wow. The peat tones down a lot. I added almost...1 part water to 5 parts whisky. Passion fruit! More honey! This is really fruity! There's even a mildly floral side to it. It noses like a highlander now. Really dramatic change! (maybe it would have been less dramatic had I been more careful with the water)
Palate - Lots of smoke. Burnt sandalwood, charcoal. Peppery and oaky in equal measure. Some ginger and liquorice. But between the abv and the smoke, it's all smoke and mirrors. With water: again, the difference is yuuuuuuuge. Passion fruit, lemon, honey dew, grapefruit, honey, vanilla, bread. When you dial down the smoke and alcohol, this whisky has a lot to offer. The mouthfeel somehow gets a lot thicker too. Hm. Wait, is that sherry I find? Some dark chocolate, leather and prune.
Finish - Long, with or without water. Water doesn't change much in the finish. You just become a living chimney.
Overall - At release, this would have been about SGD$200. Which is phenomenal. At $500+ (the price that XT got this at from Taiwan), it's worth a try only because of its rarity and pedigree. Adding water is great, so you're essentially getting 900ml of whisky for a 700 ml price (not sure if bang-for-buck calculations work this way...)
