The Best Whisky In The World Is Yummy | Old Malt Cask, Ardbeg 1992 (Bottled 2004)

Some journeys start at the bottom — you play tee ball growing up, then graduate to baseball, maybe playing in college, then the minors before finally going pro and hitting the majors.  Other times you start at the top.  You hit your high-note early and spend the rest of your life chasing that early peak. This is one of those.  We’re starting at the top, and we’ll work our way down from there, because down’s the only way to go from here.

Here is Old Malt Cask’s 1992 Ardbeg bottled from cask DL REF 1560.  It’s “the best whisky in the world” according to our buddy, Mark, and I believe him. For one, he’s tasted more Scotch, Bourbon, whiskey, and whisky than anybody I know.  And I’ve just put this booze in my mouth and it’s amazing.  Almost as amazing as the label.

I’ll transcribe it for your reading pleasure:

Old Malt Cask 50°

Single Malt Scoth Whisky

[Around the main label] www.douglaslaing.com Nose: Rich spices with burnt seaweed notes and cinnamon.  Palate: Detect caramel sweetness with heavy tar and peat.  Finish: A heavy, smoky, long lasting aftertaste. (D)

A Single Cask Bottling

Distilled At

Ardbeg Distillery

Single Malt – Single Cask – Scotch Whisky

Distilled 1992 October

Bottled 2004 October

Aged 12 Years

No chill filtration, no colouring

Bottled at our preffered strength of 50% ALC/VOL

* A bottling from one cask DL REF 1560 refill hogshead *

Islay

This bottle is one of 358 bottles filled from cask.

Islay

Distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland

Douglas Laing & Co Ltd Glasgow G3 6EQ

Product of Scotland

750ml   50% ALC/VOL

Mark’s had 3 bottles of this heaven-juice — about 1% of the total production of 358 bottles.  If you have a bottle to sell, let me know in the comments — we want it.  It’s peaty and smokey and oily and delicious.

Two fun facts:

1. RE: Whisky (no e): “American and Irish liquor producers (and copy editors) tend to favor the spelling WHISKEY, while Canadian, Scottish, and Japanese producers (and copy editors) tend to favor (or should I say, favour) WHISKY.”
2. RE: Peaty flavor in Scotch: “The malted barley is dried using the smoke from an underground furnace called a ‘kiln.’ The fire for the furnace is often stoked with peat which is why you’ll hear Scotch drinkers refer to a smoky peat flavor in many whiskies.”

Whiskey (and whisky) is the best travel booze, and we’ll continue to share what we drink as we travel.

Next up: Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year.