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Ardbeg 1999 Galileo 12 Year Old

Islay from Outer Space!

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@MaltActivistReview by @MaltActivist

7th Apr 2013

0

Ardbeg 1999 Galileo 12 Year Old
  • Nose
    22
  • Taste
    23
  • Finish
    22
  • Balance
    22
  • Overall
    89

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

If anyone wants to know how to build a cult following have them intern with the folks over at Ardbeg. Who would have thought of sending new make spirit up in space? And then releasing an expression commemorating that? Say 'hello' to the Galileo.

I would like to say it has a typical Ardbeg nose but it doesn't. I mean it has the trademark peaty smoke (which is more pronounced than it's cousins) and strong honey notes. There is a slight saltiness with a touch of grass which gives way to a chocolatey fruit basket. But the smoke and the wood tend to overpower a little.

The full bodied palate is much more familiar though not as sophisticated as you would expect from this monster distillery. Intensely spicy amidst the dark chocolate, nuts and some citrus.

The rather long oily finish has slivers of phenol and aniseed. There is also, dare I say it, a drop of something bitter.

This is an increasingly rare bottling and a must in the collector's bar. Even though I would prefer to admire it on the shelf more than on my palate it still is a very drinkable expression.

Besides I heard it just won the World Whisky Award for best Single Malt. I must be daft or something...

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2 comments

Rigmorole commented

Great review, Razvi! I agree with your tasting notes. Well done.

On another subject . . . if I fart and the gas drifts up through the upper atmosphere and into outer space does that mean all of my subsequent farts are "from" outer space? I don't understand why folks say this about Galileo, either. I've heard that comment quite a bit. It wasn't made in space so it's not "from" space.

Here is what the Mirror newspaper article said:

"The 12-year-old limited edition drop, which sells for about £150 a bottle, was created as part of a collaboration with space research company NanoRacks LLC.

The Houston, Texas, firm has been undertaking zero gravity experiments in space involving the maturation of chemical compounds in Ardbeg's whisky, while the distiller monitors control samples on Earth."

Monitors control samples? What a load of PR rubbish.

This said, Galileo is quite delicious, I agree. A very good bottle of scotch, although not as good as Beist. And Beist wasn't even "from" outerspace. Imagine that. Maybe a werewolf control group helped contribute to research on making Beist.

11 years ago 0

@MaltActivist
MaltActivist commented

Thanks @rigmorole - glad you concur

And, yes, I know it's not from Outer Space! It's a bottling to commemorate the experiment ( I write that in my first paragraph )

It just made for a more interesting headline, thats all!

If you have the chance also check out my blog at maltactivist.com

Cheers

11 years ago 0