Ardbeg Blaaack (2020 Committee Release)

So this is a pre review tasting and I'll adjusted for the real one. This is my second glass and I'm trying to decided where to go with this. Nose - young, medicinal, citrus fruits, banana, and maybe a hint of a red wine. Taste - young whisky. A mess of vanilla, oak, salt, brine, bananas, youthful casks, some acidic red wine, and then some sweet mellowing notes and then a spicy finish. Every time I try to talk myself into or out of this I come to the same two thoughts. The first is this is young as hell and it shows it in the worst ways and the second is there are some good wine casks used here to help. Overall at the end of the day, and I'll try and come back if things change...this is another massive failure when taken into context of price. This is corryvreckan with better casking and maybe a few months more age. Yeah I'm seriously disappointed in this one. It's not bad whisky...but I'm struggling to score it past a 2.0. With others enjoying this I am really looking to find some value, but I keep coming back to these young whisky notes, good wine casks but perhaps cheap bourbon casks leading to them. I guess where I struggle is if some of spices and finishes are sharp casks that were intended or raw spirit that has no place in this. I'm thinking it's youth. 2.0 an average whisky where I feel many will enjoy it beyond that and many will find this down right offensive. Dropping it to 1.50, I've had it a few times. It's just nearing terrible. Pass on this please.

Different and nice

Thoughts: This is a good whiskey with excellent marketing and cult like following, which should make it a sought-after whisky for years to come. This tastes like if the Uigeadail and the Corryvrekan had a baby. In fact that might be a good experiment which may yield twice the amount of liquid for $10 more. There is more of a plum note weaved into the ash as it lingers for a few minutes. To be honest, and a miser, if this were cheaper the score would increase. I'm not buying a back-up since I don't prefer this whisky to other core expressions in Ardbeg; Though it might make good business sense to do so. I'm glad I bought it, I'm happy its good. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

Incredible

Intense

Awesome. Amazing. I love Ardbeg

This is Ardbeg with a dash of blackcurrant jam. The Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir casks have added a subtle fruity sweetness rather than the heavy wine influence you sometimes find with such maturations. The jammy notes are very well integrated with the classic Ardbeg flavors, lightly underscoring the peat on the nose and adding a sweet touch to the finish and aftertaste. It’s perfectly executed and a return to form after last year’s disappointing Drum - just poor value at $140.

Check out my video review here https://youtu.be/cIwW-B9efw8 .