Exciting off-line tasting from Ardbeg Committeeman Brother Bluff on Ardbeg’s new release: Galileo.

The bottle is a limited edition bottling but not hidden in the back room for committee members only. I pulled it off the shelf for $90 without having to give a special wink or super secret handshake.

I just cracked it open and my initial impressions are positive. Bottled at 49%, I only added a little bit of water to open it up. It has all the usual smoke that you’d expect from Ardbeg, but I get sweetness on the nose and reminds me of BBQ Ribs—charred and caramelized.

The palate has all the salt you’ve come to expect, plus some surprising sweet notes that come from the ex-Marsala casks. It’s aged 12 years, so unlike the recent committee bottlings, this release has an age statement…1999, bottled 2012.

Forget about the gimmick celebrating Ardbeg in Space….the whisky is pretty delicious without the hype, and sadly will not be available for long.