Ardbeg Dark Cove

Smoke, roast, fruity, salt, spice. Ok.

Nose- Peat smoke, creamy sweetness, gigars, cocoa powder, sea salt, earthy, candied raisins Palate- Honey sweetness, peat smoke, cigar ash, rubber, raisins, figs Finish- Long, creamy finish with notes of peat smoke, rubber, and sherry sweetness This one is pretty good. Didn’t quite live up to the hype everyone gives the dark cove though. I was hoping for more sherry sweetness but still the cigar ash and peat smoke that ardbeg is known for is overpowering it. There are flashes of honey sweetness and sherry, but just not as much as id hoped for.

Caramel and burnt sugar. Tons of smoke.

I don’t trust Scotches with “Dark” in the name. It translates to, “I am young, and I cut corners.” Right, so I’m going to go out on a limb and call this Ardbeg that is mostly 10 years old and finished in PX seasoned casks. This has become a pretty collectible Ardbeg day special release because it has obvious appeal to whisky reviewers looking for obvious flavors. A peat monster AND a sherry bomb, with PX influence to boot. Who can resist? Me. A heavily peated distillate matured in a sherry cask takes a long time to create something natural and cohesive. This whisky, in contrast, feels engineered and forced. Dark chocolate, maraschino cherry, pepper, espresso, rubber, clay, and campfire. It sounds good on paper, but the flavors just don’t play well together. I’ve never been a fan of the Ardbeg Day releases. They are enjoyable whiskies, but way overpriced. This is probably my least favorite of them all, especially because it is starting to show up at crazy secondary market prices. Score: 0 (forgettable) How much does a bottle cost: retail was $100-120, but this is hard to find at this price now. How much is a bottle on secondary market: $150-300 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $60