Ardbeg 8 Year 'For Discussion' (Committee Release 2021)

Kažkas tarp 10-tuko ir 5-tuko. Geras durpių skonis ir kvapas.

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #30 Nose: Smoked herring; fish traps on an old wooden pier; asphalt roads near the sea with farms and haystacks on the other side. Flowers and aromatic herbs (fennel, mint) growing on the wayside. Lemon oil, treacle (!) and chocolate. Over time as it sits, and with the addition of a little water, the peaty side gains complexity with smoked meats and smoky red-berry aromas arising. A very good nose with no trace of the 50%+ ethanol presence intruding. Palate: Exquisite texture, oily, and satisfying like a well-grilled kipper. Peat smoke, asphalt, medicinal grade creosote, black pepper, TCP (! - hey, is this actually Laphroaig in drag?). Cough expectorant, glacé lemon and glacé cherries, freshly grated nutmeg, smoked salmon, grilled citrus wheels (ah, no it’s definitely Ardbeg). Caramel flavoured tar! The texture lingers and with water it loses nothing but develops a more creamy quality. Finish: Medium/long. Tar, pepper, liquorice, dark chocolate with lingering peaty citrus. Peat is the unquestioned star of the show here but subjectively this is not a loud whisky with a high level of peating. It is actually quite reserved but has so much assurance and depth from its oily texture that it seems more heavily peated than it really is. There is complexity and nuance throughout the nose and palate and the 50.8% abv strength is able to carry character and body without being obtrusive. Technically this is pretty much a perfect peated whisky (in my opinion anyway) and it drinks as more mature than 8 years old. It has genuine character without needing to shout and I love that. In hindsight this was the second best whisky I tasted on the day and I was very pleased to be able to find a bottle. Incredibly, when it was available this cost half as much as the decidedly ordinary Ardcore expression. No, I don’t comprehend that either. I would be delighted to see this become a permanent addition to the Ardbeg core range. It exceeds the Wee Beastie and is right up there with the perennially wonderful 10 year old, but with a different balance. Recommended. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

This is not an ardbeg, it is more like a laphroaigh. But i like it

Nez cendré dominant, avec des notes de mie de pain en dessous, de levures, de sucre brûlé. Ensuite, un bois poivré apparaît de force, avec de la tourbe, de la fumée et encore du bois. Beaucoup moins élégant que le 10 ans, mais tout de même savoureux. Cela dit, je suis content de ne pas avoir payé pour une bouteille complète.

Ardbeg committee editions used to be an annual release that I’d be eagerly awaiting, like a kid on Christmas eve, as it got closer to their release date with a hope to procure their new smoky concoction. In Virginia, obtaining a bottle was relatively easy, until Ardfection-18 spread resulting in mad dashes for these alcoholic Tickle Me Elmos that vanished like a ghostly Houdini trick from shelves either by flippers looking to fund a Scrooge McDuck cash pool or enthusiasts looking to quench their yearning thirsts for smoky elixirs. Alas, I too caught Ardfection-18 and sought each subsequent release until Ardbeg accidentally released the vaccine known as Scorch which managed to literally scorch any desire for purchasing a full bottle of those special releases going forward. Now most of their new releases seem to be flair-covered marketing gimmicks that are similar to limited-edition Oreos that cost more and are usually unable to really outmatch their core range. So even though my obsession with obtaining full bottles has subsided, curiosity has me interested in what this latest edition of Ardbeg 8 “For Discussion” has to offer and thank you @PBMichiganWolverine for the generous sample. Now time to open this sample, follow the instructions on the bottle and do a little discussion. The nose is soft and subtle starting with charred lemon, toasted marshmallows and freshly laid asphalt then cocoa powder dusted prunes, vanilla extract and seaside rocky minerality followed by gooseberries, tangerine orange and ruby red grapefruit that transitions to smoldering campfire with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a thin to medium mouthfeel starting with sweet yet mildly sour citrus before a moderate bitter spice that slowly fades to candied lemon peel, dark chocolate covered bacon and burnt leaves then grilled figs, vanilla creme brûlée and seaside rocky minerality followed by blackberries, tangerine orange and lime zest that transitions to smoldering campfire with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length starting with mildly sour citrus that quickly fades to the background of asphalt, black pepper, seaside rocky minerality and moderate campfire ash. Oh Ardbeg, you used to be releasing one smash hit after another, but you’ve seemed to take the Nicholas Cage approach with over churning out special releases lately with this one being more enjoyable than other releases. It is unfortunately a rather tame dram with sour citrus, light smoke and lots of ash that IMHO falls below the 10 year, Oogie or Corry. Hopefully one day Ardbeg gets their mojo back and release some stunning drams again. Until then, I’ll be on the sidelines with the occasional sample of the new releases and enjoying some of the old hits along with the core range.