Ardbeg Corryvreckan - Tasting thread

[bamber]

Tried the Corry last night - very nice whisky.

N: Obvious wine influence mixed with big peat. Concentrated black grape juice / black grape skins. Burnt rum raisin toffee. Reminescent of (but nicer than) the early peated Laddies (I'm thinking 3D 1st edition). I think it's possibly a mixture of very very young and older malt.

T: Oily, lovely texture (as noted by SOI). Peat and smokey raisin flavours seem a little mismatched at first but integration improves with time / warming. Benifits from being watered to about 50 % ABV.

F: Long peaty spicey finish.

Comment: Another excellent OB from Ardbeg. Different to the VY -> AT series in that it is much more complex but possibly less refined: Takes a while to get your head around at first, but I'm sure everyone who opens there's will not be disappointed.

For what it is worth, I score 92.

[martin grant]

Sounds good Bamber. I'm looking forward to opening my bottle soon.

[Spirit of Islay]

Great notes , Glad you enjoyed it Bamber !

Wonder how many others have opened it......

[Aidan]

I've opened mine. Trying some now... I get cinamon, chocolate, sherry (I know it's wine), smoke and lots of malt. Malt comes right through the peat, especially on the nose. Unfortunately, I'm not great on tasting notes.

Anyway, it's very good. It does not taste too young to me. But again, I'm no expert.

[Aidan]

Now I'm getting a little bit of soapyness a long time after taking a sip. Not in a bad way, though. Coats the mouth.

[bamber]

I had some more last night (away for weekend). Seemed even better and more integrated after a little air had got to it. Had an Ardbeg AT after (for comparisson ) - lovely. I hope Ardbeg keep these CS reasonably priced bottlings going.

[bamber]

Great notes , Glad you enjoyed it Bamber !

Wonder how many others have opened it......

Thanks SOI - I did not look at yours when writing mine, but I think the cinder toffee bit might have stuck in my mind !

I suppose it might be hard for collectors to open this bottling as getting more than one would require and element of skullduggery.

[Newbie]

Skullduggery never works!

I was hoping to avoid opening mine by waiting for my mate's Corry to come and trying his...

...however he is on holiday for more than a month and it may get returned to the sender!

Thats karma punishing me for skullduggery!

[bamber]

Well, I'm sure it would be pretty easy to get a friend to order one, but I'm not bothered as I'm drinking them and one is adequate to that end.

[bamber]

I've opened mine. Trying some now... I get cinamon, chocolate, sherry (I know it's wine), smoke and lots of malt. Malt comes right through the peat, especially on the nose.

I'lll look for cinamon tonight

[Spirit of Islay]

Still not many tasting notes here , must be a fortnight since Bamber posted his or were the prophecies right ??????

[Ganga]

I'd post notes, but I don't have one to try. Maybe I can talk someone up in the Bay Area out of a small sample.

[Aidan]

If you PM me with your address, Ganga, I'll send you a sample.

[Ras Mazunga]

For what it's worth: Serge is giving the Corry 90 point.
http://www.whiskyfun.com/

[Spirit of Islay]

For what it's worth: Serge is giving the Corry 90 point.
http://www.whiskyfun.com/

Thomas gave it 90 points , don't think Serge has tried it .
Still no more tasting notes from WM people i see........

[Ryguy]

For what it's worth: Serge is giving the Corry 90 point.
http://www.whiskyfun.com/

Thomas gave it 90 points , don't think Serge has tried it .
Still no more tasting notes from WM people i see........

SOI, I've been waiting to read more notes on here as well, but they aren't coming fast and furious that's for sure. It is also possible some people have not yet opened their bottles I guess. I really enjoyed reading the notes you posted on your site, as it certainly sounds like a great bottle.

[Ras Mazunga]

Yes you are very right, Thomas Lipka did this tasting not SV.

[Spirit of Islay]

SOI, I've been waiting to read more notes on here as well, but they aren't coming fast and furious that's for sure.

.........Tumble weed blows across thread............

Aye Ryan , after all the hot air , e-mails sent to the distillery , i thought a few would have been glad to get a try of it but.......

[les taylor]

[woodhill]

I tried mine, opened it within 24hrs of it arriving, I think.

Finding it very hard not to finish the bottle.

I'm not such a tasting note person but I really enjoyed this and would like to h2h this with the new CS and Mor.

[DanAir]

I've got my Reneissance but still waiting for the Corry for the long-awaited h2h. Don't fancy my chances with a Mor though

[Aidan]

I am tasting the Corryvreckan beside the Laphroaig Cardeas.

The Corry is much sweeter than the Cairdeas. I think I much prefer the former. The Laproaig is very interesting, though - dry and a mouth full of smoke. Some nice bitterness in the finish.

I think I can get younger spirit on the nose of the Ardbeg, which I didn't get at first. It all works very well together. Salty and soapy. Very long finish.

[Aidan]

After finishing both, I'm not sure I like the Cairdeas at all. Not something I'd want to go back to after finishing the first one.

[shoganai]

Can't wait to crack mine open, but it's been too damn hot. 90+ degrees (fahrenheit) isn't exacly the best condition for a 60% ABV Ardbeg. (Plus I still have too many other bottles open. A condition I'm working to remedy.) I'll get to it eventually.

[hilliamash]

This is one of the curses of living in a hot climate!

[bamber]

Had some more of this last night and it has got even better now it's been open for a while. Better integrated and softer.

[I_SPEY]

A heavy, oily, peaty and powerful dram, at the same time rather sweet! IMO.
It's a great whisky, just what I hoped to taste.I like it very much and it's hard not to take another dram!! But I said to myself, easy on, you gready little monster
I'll come back after a nosing and tasting between the 57 N, this Corry and the Ten!!

[bamber]

Glad you liked it. It gets even better once the bottle has been open for a couple of weeks

[shoganai]

I have finally got around to opening this treasure, and my first impression is very positive. On the nose I find the typical Ardbeg vanilla and smoke is very nicely balanced with honey and fruit. In fact honey and fruit dominate and the smoke is very very subtle. I might not even guess this is an Islay in a blind tasting. The palate is big and smooth. Very nice. At first it matches the nose pretty closely, but it soon reveals its true Ardbeg colors as vanilla, smoke, and tar emerge and take over. The finish is nice and long and Ardbeggy.

[Ryguy]

Very nice shoganai! Thanks for sharing your notes. I can't wait to receive my bottle of this stuff!!

[Ras Mazunga]

Just had some with some cashew nuts, fantastic!
What a beautiful whisky.

[woodhill]

This has been my favourite Ardbeg so far. I'm sure it puts the renny into second place. In fact I may have to make sure ..............yet again!

[Gilles Deleuze]

I'd love to post notes, but my bottle is still sitting at my girlfriend's place...in Finland. I'm bugging her about sending it out this week, though.

I was wondering, however: Bamber (above) said he enjoyed it with a little water--anyone else have an opinion on how well the Corry takes water? (Not that I don't trust your opinion, Bamber! )

[martin grant]

I was wondering, however: Bamber (above) said he enjoyed it with a little water--anyone else have an opinion on how well the Corry takes water? (Not that I don't trust your opinion, Bamber! )

I've tried it with and without water, and certainly prefer it with a wee splash. Bottled at 57.1% it's almost to powerful for me without. With a few drops of water, I really found it opening up. This is a really complex whisky which can easy take some water.

After all the fuss surrounding the mailing of this bottle I thought we might have seen more tasting notes here.

[Ryguy]

I was wondering, however: Bamber (above) said he enjoyed it with a little water--anyone else have an opinion on how well the Corry takes water? (Not that I don't trust your opinion, Bamber! )

I've tried it with and without water, and certainly prefer it with a wee splash. Bottled at 57.1% it's almost to powerful for me without. With a few drops of water, I really found it opening up. This is a really complex whisky which can easy take some water.

After all the fuss surrounding the mailing of this bottle I thought we might have seen more tasting notes here.

Very true Martin, I also thought we'd be seeing more tasting notes here too. Perhaps some people haven't opened their bottles yet....

Or could it be that the bottles and some of the people you speak of sold them on Ebay.....