Ardbeg Grooves

It is always sad and joyful to drink an ardbeg. With so many of their bottlings being one offs, you never want to finish a bottle but it's a lot of fun to drink from one. This was sadly one I never saw the CR of and by the time the standard bottles made it to me, I assumed if Kelpie was still on shelves and Dark Cove was on shelves for over a year...surely Grooves would last. Sadly, I was wrong and this one was gone from shelves by me in record times. Nose -my first response is that that reminds me a bit more of Lagavulin's profile than Ardbeg. Those wine casks must be giving me a similar note to a PX sherry perhaps. Behind it is smooth smoke, sweet puffs, and a wonderful toasted oak. Taste - One of the things I love about Ardbeg in general is how broad the range of tasting sensations is and grooves takes that up a notch. I get sweet delicate wine notes up front with some sweet honey. Then it gets into these candied notes on the mid pallet almost like a lemon drop without the sour elements and not really a lemon flavor but the sweetness of that candy/sugar itself. Then we get into the peat and smoke as the finish brings with it spices and pepper and brine and smoke. With a lot of whiskies lately I bring up a distinct salt note, but not here. There is brine and with it salty elements but I don't get a distinct salt flavor. If you can still find grooves close to MSRP, get a bottle man! I'm putting this up there with some HEAVY hitters and I don't feel bad scoring it 3.5. It's no dark cove which spoiled us as that might have been a 4.5 at CS. Still get is a winner!

Nose; vanilla and smoke lead in equal parts. Oaky too. Salty brine. A touch of old leather. But then some sweetness bleeds through. Almost floral, with dark fruits. Taste; wow that is a flavour sensation. It's surprisingly smooth for how much fire and flavour this has. The peat and char lead here. Finish is long and dry. Salt, oily, smokey, this is terrific stuff. Think seaside bonfire with charred fruits. 9.3/10

Very complex. Peaty, Smokey with a spicy finish

Very subtle. Too subtle

As cool as the bottle label. Brilliant!

Super smoky, smooth/ oily mouthfeel