Ardbeg Galileo

Soft, sweet peat, sweet spirit notes, tarred ropes, coal dust, barbequed pineapple, a touch of dirty sump oil, pine needles, freshly smashed-open coconut, dry breadcrumbs and crushed seashells. A few drops of water calm down the phenols and reveal syrup-glazed pineapple upsidedown-cake (one of my specialties) and stewed gooseberries.

The first thing I noticed was that it wasnt as sweet as the nose might have suggested, at least not in an upfront syrupy way. Instead, it had unsweetened tropical fruit and sharp-edged Fruit Salad chews, filled out with rich fruitcake sweetness, although this is Ardbeg so it was more a smoked fruitcake hit, along with cold coal stoves, dark wood, a hint of leaf mulch and some sea spray. Water yet again calmed down the peat, revealing a bit more sweetness from the fruit.

On the swallow, there was a burst of tarry phenols, which faded to leave lingering damp wood and leaves.