Ardbeg An Oa

Ardbeg day testing! Ardbeg 10, An Oa and Grooves Let’s start here – All delicious and all worth buying. The An Oa has hints of new oak, and even French oak, with a nice spicy finish. The finish is longer than the 10 and spicier. The palette on the An Oa rolls a bit more and is little less brash and is more balanced. The PX sherry takes the smoke and makes a pleasant whisky. An Oa takes the win over the 10. The Grooves is sweeter, almost a bit of sticky wine finish. The finish is longer than the An Oa and a bit better. Sweet, balanced, lovely finish, a slight advantage over the An Oa. The win versus An Oa depends on your palette. If you like red wine the Grooves wins. If you like bourbon the An Oa wins (I get some virgin oak impacts on the An Oa). Rankings 1. Grooves – due to the longer finish and a bit sweeter than the An Oa, 2 An Oa – better balance than the 10 and much better finish and 3. 10 – solid dram with aggressive smoke that is so easy to like. All so good. I’d I was buying, I would pick An Oa. If if was a gift I would pick Grooves.

Nose: warm caramel, salt spray, vanilla, warm light spices Palette: spice forward, reminiscent of Uigeadail up front, warm toasted grain, orange cupcake, ardbeg de-clawed, still complex Finish: relatively short and succinct light spice and oil lingering

This is the stuff

Smoke and a bit of iodine/plastic. Lighter body, with more campfire smoke. Finish surprisingly smooth, with lingering ash. Had this in a blind tasting, and was surprised to learn it was Ardbeg. Way lighter and with fewer Band-Aids than I expect from them!