Ardbeg An Oa

Last dram in the bottle. Quite happy with the bottle overall. Nice balance of smoky, peaty, and caramel. Very nice Islay.

Oily and peated, with a wooden aftertaste. Sweet notes that balance out the smokiness

Very Smokey

Delicious. Peat but not overpowering

Nose: Earthy peat and light ash. Subtly musty funk, creamy - vanilla bean ice cream. White pepper, chipotle peppers. Peppermint. Honey ham. Toasted cereal grains. Figs, dates, bananas. Dried thyme and basil. Slightly floral - just a hint of a bright perfume. Palate: Peat, smoke, tannin. Dense with a sprinkling of ash from a fire that just finished. Bowl of vanilla yogurt and granola with honey and sliced bananas and blueberries. Salty ham. The casks are all showing up here - vanilla, brown sugar and straight oak, slightly tannic, dense and ripe/overripe fruits. Along with some more tamed character like you'd expect from, say Ardbeg 10. Finish begins with a phenol- and brightly ethanol-powered pop. As the sparkles subside, you get that ashy, toasted grain, and honeyed characteristic - Highland Park 12 and Laphroaig 10/Quarter Cask would be apt comparisons. Things eventually settle into a beautiful creamy, vanilla, cocoa powder landing. Decent oil means the finish on this is medium long. Other notes: An Oa is exemplary of what a distillery is capable of when they get creative with their casks and blending. Admittedly not my favorite Ardbeg, it's still something I enjoy and appreciate whenever I have it, even if it doesn't have a permanent home in my collection. I still occasionally re-buy this just because it's, objectively, damn good.