Ardbeg Drum

Nose: light fragrant peat, salt air, getting hints of grilled pineapple. Cinnamon, and spiced rum. Whipped vanilla cream. Palate: sweeter on the palate than a traditional ardbeg. Peaty as you'd expect but its lighter than usual. Brown sugar, pear, pineapple, tropical fruit. Fruity sweetness clings to the back of the palate as it transitions to finish. Its not sickly or syrupy. This is a light, almost refreshing ardbeg. Finish: mild peat phenols, spiced oak. Slightly thinner/milder than usual ardbegs. Hints of cocoa.

It's late summer and 89°, but as I just finished tasting and reviewing a peated Irish whiskey, I decided to keep the peat theme going, despite the heat, and search for a peated whisky that I'd yet to review. I immediately recalled my single bottle of Ardbeg Drum, which I recalled not caring for (hence no review). Time for another assessment. I'll begin by stating that I'm not an Ardbeg fanboy. While the distillery makes some amazing whisky (Corryvreckan, Uigeadail), I've always viewed them as putting a little too much emphasis on marketing, which ultimately makes me question quality (not that those two elements have to be mutually exclusive). The Drum, aged in rum casks, is a poster child for Ardbeg's marketing: this bottling was released on the annual Ardbeg Day with a "thrilling Caribbean twist" (on the back of the packaging). The bottle itself is adorned with three cartoonish stickers, promising "Briny Notes,' "Ripe Banana Notes," and "Pineapple Notes" (in case someone forgot about the Caribbean theme). The pairing is as incongruous as the mayor of Miami Beach promoting a "Scotland Day," reminding everyone to wear their tartans and Fair Isle virgin wool sweaters. But I digress. Clear pale straw, suggesting no added coloring. Some smoky peat and malted barley notes on the nose, and perhaps a whiff of pineapple and ripe banana like the stickers say, but this seems more like an olfactory confirmation bias. There's some honeyed sweetness and Islay salt on the palate, finishing with smoky peat again. I think of a peaty scotch whisky as complex, brooding, and rugged as the Islay coast. It grabs you by the (ostensibly tweed) lapels and demands respect. Ardbeg Drum does not fit that profile. Call me an old-school traditionalist; I don't deny it. The cynic in me thinks that this is young unneeded inventory that the marketing department needed to get rid of without making it seem like it. I'm all for bringing new Scotch drinkers into the fold, and this bottling certainly has that potential, but it's not a serious whisky--even if the price is. 2.5 on the Distiller scale. No age statement; non-chill filtered; 46% ABV. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

I really like this one. Great sweetness up front and then the wonderful Ardbeg peat and fruit on the finish. I feel like this one wasn’t well received upon release so I held off for a bit. Glad I finally pulled the trigger.