Ardbeg 10 Year

Beginner level Islay whisky, affordable and surprisingly fruity.

The smokiest whisky I’ve ever had. But on drinking it it quickly goes to sweetness like drinking a country ham.

SMOKE and PEAT. A citrusy note in there too. Not as buttery as Laphroaig 10.

N: Charcoal, tar, smoke, ash. Then some nice fruit: pineapple, peach, nectarine. Then just a dash of funky, fishy maritime character. Notable allspice presence. Other random notes: oatmeal cookies, leather and lemon (yes, together), raisins, fresh Band-Aids, iodine, tennis balls. It's basically a junk pile and it's amazing that it's not totally repulsive. Instead of repulsive, the opposite effect is generated as you keep wanting to go back and see what you get next time. It's fun to nose. P: Soft and charming on the palate. Sweet, but not too sweet. Smoky, but not too smoky. Starts with lots of warm red fruit, grilled first, then finished in a smoker, but still juicy - not dried out yet. Fruit picks up just a bit of the meat it shared the grill and smoker with. Allspice returns. Then caramel and vanilla walk in like they own the place. Softer fruits feel like they're lingering in the corners, but never quite pop. After a pour or two, a noticeable hint of seaweed and salt water develops. Bitter ash starts the finish, but is quickly replaced by an escalating spice that starts with relatively benign baking spices and ends at hot cinnamon. The heat slowly fades away and leaves the caramel and vanilla - turns out they do own the place. That traditional character is extremely well executed and provides nice body and a good, round mouthfeel. I don't really know the history of Ardbeg, but this feels like an old Ardbeg, something that they've made for generations, long before the brand was so trendy. I like it for that. I have no idea if that's true, but even if it's not, I still like it for making me think that. This feeling of pre-trendy Ardbegness comes, I think, mostly from the palate, which feels like a fairly traditional sherry cask scotch (I actually don't know that it's sherried, but I would be surprised if it isn't), plus the Islay influence of smoke and seaweed. Other Ardbegs I've had are far more aggressive and/or experimental with the palate (aggressive and experimental both being trendy in all types of alcoholic beverages these days). That said, there's nothing wrong with this dram, but I think I prefer the trendy Ardbeg. The nose feels like a game, which is fun, but it's not quite what I'm looking for in a whisky. The traditional palate is good to return to at times, but it's just not as interesting as Ardbeg's other offerings. Final thought: this could be a steal at say $40, but I don't think that's out there. So the new Wee Beastie might be a better deal after all.

Meaty and smokey with hints of rubber (like tires) before giving way to over-ripe peaches. Once you're acclimated to the smoke it's actually quite sweet.