Ardbeg – Rollercoaster Committee Reserve 2009 (70cl, 57.3%)

Ardbeg Rollercoaster is a single malt bottled in 2009 at 57.3%, in a 70cl bottle. It was released as the Tenth Anniversary Committee Bottling, with an outturn of 12,000 bottles. The nose is briny and coastal, with smoked sardines, a few drops of lemon, pear and plenty of iodine, plus nutmeg, cumin and mint. On the palate a big wave of peat smoke gives way to liquorice, lemon and coal, then aniseed, eucalyptus and very dark chocolate. The finish is long, with chilli pepper, briny smoke and slightly bitter cloves.