You know I like Ardbeg, it hits all the right buttons for me.  But their scotches seem to fall into one of two categories, (1) all salt and (2) amazing.  This latest scotch, Kelpie, falls into category (2).  This is one of their more complex scotches and a little subtle compared to others.  Of course it is smoky and peaty without a doubt, it lives up to the Islay standard.  But there are some nice surprises in this scotch that make it rich and interesting.  The nose is definitely smoky with peat, hints of pepper, and it burns hard.  The smell is a bit stronger than the taste.  First impressions for the flavor are salt, burnt wood, pepper and in my opinion licorice.  Of course salt is there, it’s always there just not overwhelming in this scotch.  After swallowing the salty flavor strengthens and a sweet caramel flavor rises up.  Now that’s nice, salted caramel.  The finish lasts a long time, several minutes.  Again it’s salty but mild like sea water.  And, wait for it, bacon.  Yes the finish tastes like bacon.  It is as if any flavor complemented by salt was put into the bottle.  Since caramel is my favorite candy and who doesn’t like bacon this is a home run for me.  The flavors are not overwhelmingly strong like Uigeadail or Ardbog but strong enough to satisfy my taste.  This is a pricey one at $125, and I’ve seen web sites that advertise it as high as 250$.  51.7% abv.

Copyright 2017, David R Bergman