Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Peat, spicy, heat and sweet finish

Strong smoke and fruit on the nose, Islay salt on the arrival, quickly transitions to a dark, fruity sweetness. Goes down with a hint of campfire. Great malt.

I paid only $69 however now price has gone up making this the most expensive NAS Ardbeg. This nose is a mix of sweet 10 year old and a version of the black oak 2017's Kelpie. This uses French oak possibly Limousin and gives a unique wood nose just like the black oak did. This is the first impression you get from the glass, then a more mellow rounded off peat smoke, followed by sweetness almost a sherry type sweet and Ardbeg vanilla, a touch of alcohol and spice pepper and chili. Malt, citrus, and salt brine hide in in back. Palate is just as interesting peat smoke, bacon meatiness, and treacle (molasses) sweetness leap out of the whisky first sip, mid palate the shift is spicy pepper and chili intensity with some citrus kick making this whisky very intense and mouthwatering. Ending in vanilla creaminess, and sea salt. Finish is long long with more of the vanilla and sweet, the smoke is enduring the citrus hints in the finish as well. Leaves you with dry oak and smoke. This is certainly a mood whisky not a daily drinker especially taking the price hike into consideration. This is also not a beginner try Islay whisky as this one has teeth and complexity and finish for days. Oggie and the classic 10 are better values but Corry has it's merits.

Neat. Neck pour. Starting to get more and more into scotch lately. Something about a single malt goes better with summer to me. Super excited to find this one. I have loved every Ardbeg I have tried thus far but everyone tells me this is the best among the more widely available bottles. Oh what nose. Getting behind the well balanced peat, there is this combination of sweet and savory. Peppered beef jerky, leather, coupled with stewed fruit, vanilla scones, and slightly sour pears. Hint of chocolate too. Really runs the gambit of these light and dark notes. Texture is perfect and oily, really digging the higher proof and non-chilled filter. It mostly sits dark on the tongue with the peppered jerky but then there is a cinnamon sugar sweetness. Almost BBQ like really. Smoked BBQ. Everything on the nose is there throughout the taste. Peppered meat, leather, stewed fruits, and pears. Peat and pepper linger on the legs. Very impressed with this pour. It is the most balanced, flavorful, pronounced Ardbeg I have had so far. At $89, probably one of the best overall values in whiskey across categories too. (Within two minutes of me posting this my wife came in for a kiss, was completely repulsed and louder said “Ew what the f***!” Her score of this dram is much lower than mine apparently.)