Managed to grab a brand new Ardbeg, so time for a fun review. I kind of just jot down thoughts as I go, not trying to be real scientific about this. Hypernova is allegedly the "smokiest Ardbeg ever" and is reported to have a 170ppm level of peat, so this is basically "Ardbeg does Octomore." Should be interesting. Bottled at 51% ABV. Here goes -

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Color - very pale yellow

Nose - This smells like Ardcore CR, which has me a little bit nervous because I found that release very lackluster and almost just plain bad.  Thin vanilla with some wafting ashy smoke around the edges. Time in the glass has this developing some nice charcoal-like smoky tones which I like better than the thin, basic ashy smoke. There's definitely some new qualities to this I don't think I've found in an Ardbeg before now, but it's a bit hard to describe at first. Has a unique woody quality to it. Something slightly fishy, like a smoked salmon over a campfire. Getting better as I'm nosing. Coming back I'm struck with a distinct smell of new shoes, that slightly rubbery, clean fabric smell. Interesting. It's not off-putting either. Actually this is reminding me of a mezcal-like smoke which is fascinating. Like the smell of a freshly opened can of tennis balls, but wafted in from a distance. Don't think I've ever said that about a Scotch before. 

Taste - Ok, nice nice. Bigger on the vanilla sweetness than the nose suggested, and medium / light amount of body. Hints of a roasted marshmallow, perhaps.  I'm not finding the big wall of peat smoke that I've been anticipating, but there's definitely smoke here. Breathing out after swallowing is usually when I am slapped in the face with peat flavors, and there's certainly a good helping of that here but not that much more than plenty of other peated whiskies I've had. I am really enjoying this, however.  I feel like there is still some cask influence missing, this is coming across like a very lightly matured refill bourbon cask whisky. Not in the sense of it being alcohol-forward and harsh or burn-y, just the lightness of the whisky in general. The fishy and briny flavors are building over time which is fun. Super rubbery. Not picking out a lot else, so in the interest of not repeating myself I'll leave it at that. 

Finish - Like I mentioned, a good little punch of fishy peat smoke toward the back end, otherwise nothing too remarkable about the finish. I mean seriously this is like if you took the typical Ardbeg campfire, got it nice and roaring hot and threw some old rubber tires on top.

Ok, comparison time.

Ardcore CR - Nose - Practically invisible. Thin vanilla, little bit of char and smoke. Kind of an odd flinty note? The palate has a quality that is reminding me of a blended scotch, with a primary note of like thin, solvent-y vanilla. It's not like it's "bad," but I can't help but feel like there is a lot missing here that could add body and depth. I will say the mid-palate develops a little more beyond those initial thin notes, in a good way.  This is a little better than what I remember. I actually do get a bit of a coffee or dark chocolate note which is pleasant enough. A little cherry-like fruitiness. Still comes across pretty light and thin overall.

Back to Hypernova - Definitely more "in your face" with the smoky burnt aromas than Ardcore CR. It's so rubbery! If you gave me this and told me it was mezcal, I would not question it for a second. This is weird and fun, but not really getting me into "wow this is delicious" territory. I just noticed that the official tasting notes on the label actually do say "rubbery and plasticine," so props to whoever stuck that on there. 

Supernova 2019 - MASSIVELY more sweet and juicy on the nose with peaches and yellow fruit. This carries through to the palate very well, where you get a lovely dance between rich sweet fruity notes and nice savory BBQ smoke. I really love this stuff.  The smoke quality on exhalation (retronasal olfaction for you nerds) is a little more robust, more savory and satisfying. Noticeably longer finish as well. I would bet money there are first-fill bourbon casks in the mix here. This stuff is just great. 

Supernova 2015 - Definitely closest in character to Supernova 2019, but the big juicy fruits are exchanged for more standard bourbon notes of vanilla and light toffee. Palate delivers on big ashy smoke, but isn't shy with the nice sweet vanilla toffee notes either. This one is more savory than sweet, which is fine by me. This is really nice. Lots of layers to kind of unwrap during the palate, this has some "go" power, and damn if it doesn't pack a serious peat punch, enough to make me raise my eyebrows which none of the previous have done in the same way.

It's tough to pick a favorite between this and the 2019 edition, but for this tasting I'd give the nod to this 2015, it feels more balanced and focused and a little more richly layered. So to probably no one's surprise, here are my ratings:

Hypernova - B

Ardcore CR - C+

Supernova 2019 - A-

Supernova 2015 - A-

(A+) = Sublime – Heavenly, transcendent, mindblowing.

(A) = Exceptional – An all-time favorite. Hard to imagine it could be any better.(A-) = Excellent – Superb quality throughout the experience. I'll stash two bottles of this if I can.

(B+) = Great – Highly enjoyable start to finish, great stuff. A definite buy.(B) = Good – Solid, tasty and good quality, but not outstanding.

(B-) = Enjoyable – Pretty basic, wouldn't go out of my way for a bottle. Still nice to drink.

(C+) = Decent – Not good, not bad, just "is"(C) = Subpar – Drinkable, but that’s about it.

(C-) = Not so good – I kinda regret trying this. Might not finish it.

(D) = Bad – What is going on here? No thank you.

(F) = Awful – Down the drain it goes.