Ardbeg – An Oa (70cl, 46.6%)

Ardbeg An Oa is an Islay single malt from the Ardbeg distillery, bottled at 46.6% in a 70cl bottle. It takes its name and inspiration from the Mull of Oa, the wild south-western tip of the island, where high cliffs face the Atlantic storms and shelter the south coast and the distillery. The nose is round, with apple wood smoke, soft toffee, aniseed, molasses and dates, plus peach and banana. The palate is creamy and syrupy-sweet, with milk chocolate, orange, Lapsang Souchong smoke, nutmeg and cinnamon. The finish is long, with aniseed, hickory smoke and the scent of a distant wood fire.