Ardbeg An Oa

This is the newest NAS in Ardbeg’s stable: An Oa (pronounced ahn-oh). This is also something new when it comes to Ardbeg production- Solera vatting. This whisky is made up of undisclosed aged whisky from PX cask, ex-bourbon cask and new virgin oak casks. It is collected in a Solera vat before bottling which allows everything to just mingle together while new stock is added constantly as product is pulled for bottling. It is advertised as non-chill filtered and I don’t see any info on coloring (which I suspect may be added due to the use of the solera vat, in order to make a consistently colored product.) It’s bottled at a robust 46.6% ABV and is a typical light gold in the glass. The nose starts out Ardbeg-y enough: smoldering campfire, brine, toffee and oak barrel but if you give it some time you begin to pick up some vine-ripened fruits and some mint qualities. The palate is creamy, but not as deep as the CorryV or the Uggi. There’s a waxy, tea leaf note that sticks to the tongue before eventually yielding to chocolaty smoke and wood. The faintest lemon zest and spearmint make an appearance mid sip but at no point does it ruin the mouthfeel. The finish is medium length with a heavy pepper and spice presence that ultimately ends with fading, Ardbeg smoke. Overall, I rather enjoyed this NAS offering. It appears as though they are trying to force some complexity into the younger stock by using the Solera vat, though. Some people may consider that cheating or compensating, and I suppose it is. I’ve heard rumors this may lead to the demise of the 10 year old and I’m going out on a limb here and saying I’d be okay with that so long as I can still get the Corryvreckan or Uigeadail when I want those deep, rich Ardbeg experiences. It’s a few bucks more than the 10, which is a bit sad, but it does offer a slight variation on that and I think I prefer this to the experimental stuff like the Dark Cove, as well. I could see this becoming a staple in my home bar. Good stuff. 4 stars. Cheers, my friends.

Nose: peat, brisket, pepper, brine, lemon, honey, and vanilla. Taste: creamy, with peat, smoked meats, salt, and chocolate. Finish: lingering peat and dark chocolate