Ardbeg 10 (Second Take)

Next up in my series of second takes on previous reviews of mine is the core expression of my favorite distillery, Islay's Ardbeg. I actually intended my next review to be Talisker 10, but the bar I went to only had an ancient bottle of Talisker with two fingers left of liquid... Seemed like a bad bet.
Actually, the Ardbeg bottle was on its last legs also, so this can also be an experiment in how well it oxidizes. With some luck, it was drained rapidly and hadn't been sitting like that for too long. 

How did my favorite whisky fare? 

Nose: Very, very medicinal. Strong iodine note, strong smoke, lots of ash. Strong note of coal. Coffee, leather. This nose reeks of earthy, campfire scents. I detected a very faint malt/cereal scent, and a very rich vanilla note, but otherwise all bog fragrances. Nothing sweet here. 

Mouthfeel: Thick, oily. 

Palate: Smoke forward. Tobacco, ash, roasted coffee, coal oil. Keep digging and you get a very pleasant cooling fruit - apple, pineapple, maybe white grapes. Pepper. Vanilla and oak - stacks of old wood. 

Finish: Long, pepper and burning wood and tons of smoke. The smoke holds your tongue for minutes on end, and stays there. 

Verdict: Still my favorite. It's a smoky, oily, medicinal, bitter dram... But it's graceful, complex, and goes down exceedingly easily. Underneath the rough campfire is a very pleasant layer of wet fruit. This is quite well balanced despite all the bitter or astringent elements I listed above. At $50 a bottle, a real bargain.