Tasting notes Serge Valentin: 90 points (WhiskyFun.com)

Time to try this older one that wasn’t bearing any age statements (they did put things straight later on).

Colour: straw.

Nose: of course. Smoked ginger, camphor, bandages, damp hessian, those famous tarry ropes, smoked almonds, whelks and clams, and burning kelp. To old whisky enthusiasts, this noses like… home. With water: gentler. Marzipan and barley water, then charcoal, beech-smoked salmon and Cadum. New Wellies, but small size.

Mouth (neat): of course. Lapsang souchong, lime juice, ginger tonic, kippers, cough syrup, grapefruit peels, smoked salmon. With water: natural rubber (chewing rubber bands at school), kippers, almond paste, Seccotine. Did you know of Seccotine?

Finish: long, smoky, salty, almondy, rather less lemony than other Ardbegs.

Comments: of course, Ardbeg.