Last October in a discussion of how single malts "age" or "oxidize" while sitting open I posted my thoughts on what happened to a bottle of the Ardbeg 17 I had left open for the better part of a year.
I wrote
I can only assume that some sort of oxidation/evaporation
> issue had changed the taste of the whisky, the older one
> seemed to be mellower and the smokiness (for me anyway) was
> fuller and more rounded.
Douglas W. Hoyt replied
I have had that happen with Islays that sit in the bottle for
>a while. The fire breathes out, they get soft on the palate,
>and the flavors and aromas seem deeper and longer lasting.
>This only seems positively with 'big' whiskies, like Islays,
>that have so much flavor structure that they can compensate
>for the mildness, without seeming flat or tired, or picking
>up obvious off flavors.
I thought this was interesting so at Douglas' suggestion I did a head to head test..and invited three friends along. All three had previously had and enjoyed a number of different Ardbegs so none were going in totally blind, however all they knew was that they were being given the 17 and another whisky that was supposed to be much like the 17.
The "Fresh" 17 got the following comments
1) smokier nose ..sweeter .. earthier .. shorter finish seemed less flavorful in comparison.
2) orangey.. smokey.. more peat.. more complex.. not as smooth.
3) "something funny in the nose, smoke and..?" caramel.. peat .. smooth finish
4) Sharper ... hotter .. smoke and peat
The "Older" 17 drew the following comments
1) sweet .. honey ..initial hot note turns fuller and smooth .. cooler.. "easy drinkin"
2) similar colour.. easier on the nose .. very smooth ..flavor holds up over time.. larger finish.
3) sweeter nose .. oily .. peat ..stronger finish .. longer finish.
4) less hot .. fruitier .. smoother .. longer finish.. less emphatic.
It was evenly split as to which whisky was preferred.. There was a great deal of surprise expressed when I told them what we had been tasting... everyone would have sworn we were drinking different whiskys.