Ardbeg BizarreBQ

It has been a long time since i last truly enjoyed an Ardbeg Special Release. But i can honestly tell you, and i am giving a serious spoiler here, that finally this Islay distillery has given us a worthy whisky. "Bizarrebq" is one crazy name for a dram, and it is made to resemble a backyard BBQ. Actually, the whole brand has a partnership with the now famous "DJ Bbq", whose videos cooking food with Ardbeg are quite popular. This has been made in Px sherry casks and also in "Ardbeg's BBQ Casks" (???) Bottled at 50.9%abv, this is a core-limited-edition, which is a contradictory statement but you know how marketing works nowadays. On the nose, it is spectacular. Spanish curated ham; a pair of new socks and ashes. It smells like a "Pancetta" or a Brisket, cooked with lots of salt to produce a dry part of the meat which is delicious. Ashtray. On the palate, it starts with salty water than after one second turns into a creme brulee with pepper and Ardbeg's potent swampy-like peatiness. It feels like chewing the head of those "He-man" toys from the 1980s. Moss and caramel; peaty and sweet. Incredible experience. Aftertaste is good but a little simple and straightforward. Ashes and gunpowder. Salty. Overall, this was a great and powerful release by Ardbeg. They achieved here exactly what they wanted to: to give you a BBQ experience. This whisky can pair incredible with smoked food. Lovely really. My score for it is a well deserved 93 over 100.

Like a lagavulin 16 but a bit sweeter. After a while a bit syrupy. Good but not every day

Tasty but not the best

If you Google Ardbeg BizarreBQ you can find a picture of the original proposed back label for this release, which stated that their "BBQ casks" were comprised of "oak toasted over a brazier packed with seaweed and birchwood." For whatever reason, they left that interesting nugget out of the label that made it onto bottles, only noting that the casks included double charred oak, PX sherry, and "unique BBQ casks." Obviously, it sounds like another one of their harebrained gimmicks, but the early reviews seemed positive, so what the hey? On the nose berries and charcoal smoke, ham, something vegetal. The palate is sweet with cinnamon sugar up front, strawberry jam, honey ham, tangy raspberry barbecue sauce, chocolate. The smoke builds and builds toward the the back end. It's more like barbecue smoke, but there's a little of the Ardbeg peaty signature in there too. The finish is sooty with a bit of dark chocolate and meaty barbecue tang. An Ardbeg special release under $100 is it's own special unicorn. And it's actually good! Compared to the regular releases, I think I'd put this slightly behind Oogie and Corry, but well ahead of An Oa. I did buy a second bottle though, so I clearly enjoy it. I'm going 4-4.25, but tempted to go higher on the rating because I want to give props to Ardbeg for actually finding a gimmick that works, and for releasing it at a reasonable price.

Very good. Like having grilled steaks, beef ribs glazed with honey barbecue sauce, and maple glazed thick cut bacon. Nose: Raspberries, Coal, Tar, Honey Barbecue Sauce, Raisins, Maple Glazed Thick Cut Bacon, Glazed Beef Ribs, Hickory Smoke, Pineapple Jalapeño Sauce Palate: Grilled Steak, Smoke, Toffee, Raisins, Blackberries, Apricots, Bacon, Honey Barbecue Sauce, Figs, Pineapples, Dates, Iodine, Plums, Vanilla, Coconuts Finish: Glazed Beef Ribs, Barbecue Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Salted Toffee, Butterscotch, Artichokes, Grilled Steak, Raspberries, Raisins, Prunes, Salted Cod

Finally, a special release Ardbeg that’s actually good, and not just a money grab scheme backed by hype and marketing bullshit. I had a small pour last week at the hotel I was staying in London, but soon after I picked up a bottle for £65. That is not bad for a special release Ardbeg. Nose is ash, dark chocolate, strawberries. Palette to me is where it shines…sticky, smoky, sweet. Milk chocolate, ashy wood, berries, and meaty. If you find this anywhere around USD 75-90, buy. You’ll appreciate it especially if you’re a fan of Uigi. Between Uigi and this, I’d give this an edge. It’s funny how the two unheralded Ardbegs this year were really good…the SmokeTrails ( about £75) and this one. Lesson to take away…when Ardbeg makes 0 to minimal effort in marketing bullshit, buy. If they make a huge bullshit effort, stay away.