Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery
Region: Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
Aging: 10 Years
ABV: 51% ABV
Proof: 102 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Islay Single Malt
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $150
Ardbeg Hypernova Tasting Notes
Appearance: Light hay
Nose: Peat, smoke, vegetal, green pepper, light fruits, hints of citrus, campfire, tar, soot from your fireplace, hints of dark fruit and anise seed
Palate: Peat, smoke, campfire, soot, tar, leather, match sulfur, cinnamon, red-hot candy, slight citrus
Finish: Medium finish with a nice oily mouthfeel – leaves you with the most smoky, peaty, tar, and campfire filled flavor you could ever find
Is Ardbeg Hypernova an Approachable Whiskey?
Ardbeg Hypernova advertises to be the peatiest and smokiest Scotch Whisky out there and it does deliver on its promise.
This whisky will blast your taste buds full of everything peat, smoke, and campfire has to offer.
This is no whiskey for beginners!
Is Ardbeg Hypernova Complex?
Ardbeg Hypernova is surprisingly quite complex and offers many layers of flavor.
The nose is full of peat, smoke, campfire, tar, match sulfur… pretty much anything that has been burnt and may possibly still be burning, Ardbeg Hypernova smells like that, and in the best way possible.
But it’s got more layers than just that.
I’m a huge fan of the smokiest and peatiest big heavy Scotches and this one most certainly delivers, but the most interesting part of Ardbeg Hypernova is that it feels completely balanced and doesn’t feel one-dimensional.
Layered beneath all the smoke and peat, there are layers of flavor ranging through sweet honey caramel, vanilla, oak, light fruits, citrus zest, cinnamon spice, refreshing mint notes, chocolate, clove, and dark fruits like anise seed and dark cherry.
The whisky continues to evolve as you get to your third and fourth sips and continues to keep surprising you with each sip.
What are Ardbeg Hypernova’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Ardbeg Hypernova’s strongest attribute is definitely the amount of peat, smoke, campfire, and tar/sulfur flavors.
It was not lying when it was advertised to be the peatiest of all the peat whiskeys.
Is Ardbeg Hypernova a go-to whiskey?
Ardbeg Hypernova is a limited-edition release and I purchased the more limited 2022 Committee Release which cost about $30 more than the standard release.
Since it is rare and has such bold flavors, this is definitely one I will be reserving for special occasions or to share with friends.
Is Ardbeg Hypernova priced accurately to its quality?
Ardbeg Hypernova does actually deliver on its price tag for me.
I didn’t expect it to live up to its hefty $150 price tag since you can get excellent standard editions of Ardbeg anytime at the liquor store, but this bottle surprised me.
It most certainly is the most peaty Scotch I have ever tasted and not only that, it delivers all the other flavors that perfectly balance it out to be an exceptional bottle.
Conclusion for Ardbeg Hypernova
I’m very glad that I purchased this bottle of Ardbeg Hypernova and spent the extra money on the 2022 Committee Release edition.
It exceeded my expectations and went above and beyond.
I’m always a fan of Ardbeg, but this bottle is very unique and I can’t wait to share it with some of my other peat-loving friends!
If you have the chance and are a fan of peaty Scotch, definitely buy this bottle if you can find it.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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