Ardbeg An Oa

rotgold. N: rauchig dann direkt fruchtig. Vanille wie im Kuchen. G: säuerlich aber frucht. wenig Torf. A: rauchig bitter säuerlich.

Now that the SDT is in a holding pattern between rounds I have time to catch up on a few samples that have been (and continue) accumulating. This sample was provided by @LeeEvolved An Oa is the newest member of the Ardbeg core range. Another NAS, and one that is suspected by many to be a replacement for the staple 10 year. Bottled at 46.6% ABV and is non chill filtered and I believe a natural color of yellow gold. As expected, there is plenty of peat smoke on the nose. A bit meaty and a bit fruity, but no one aspect really seems to dominate. Lemons, apricots, and some lemonade. Chalky/mineral notes. A little mint/menthol and faint chocolate. Earthy, ashes and the tiniest bit of oak. Some vanilla buttercream and an incredibly faint sherry note. Mostly mineral like wet stones at a beach or salty sea shells. Not very complex and seems quite young. Big peat smoke up front on the palate, but that soon fades. In its wake there are lemons, oranges, and apricots. Ashes, overly charred meat like blackened chicken. Like the nose it is very chalky. Some mint and tannins. The chalky aspect becomes dominant. Medium to full bodied mouthfeel with a slight oiliness and mouthwatering. A medium long finish with peat, smoke, ashes and tannins. Well, it’s not terrible, but it’s probably the worst Ardbeg I’ve had. Weak for an Ardbeg, not quite sure why this was introduced as part of their core range. At $60 I think I’d rather buy the 10 and have enough change to get a pizza. 3.75 and thanks again for the sample lee. Cheers

I see this as a toned down 10 year. I'm thinking this is Ardbeg's way of making their signature taste more accessible to the masses. That's fine I guess, but I sincerely hope that the rumors that this will replace the 10 are unfounded, as the 10 possesses far more character and appeal to me. I mean... Ardbeg has such a distinct, powerful flavor profile. Doesn't watering it down to make it smoother defeat the purpose?!

Røg, vanilje