Ardbeg Scorch

Very good, but not a very good value

One of the best whiskies i had in 2021 was the breathtaking Ardbeg Scorch Committee release. This time, i have reached a glass of the normal release, at 46%abv strength, the one with the black and red label. On the nose, it has the Ardbeg classic aroma. New socks, cotton, red fruits, grapefruit, gooseberries. There is this maritime and Merthiolate profile. After a first sip, it became very sweet, a very appealing, fancy toffee. On the palate, it is vanilla and plastic in a sip. Black pepper and a scorching saltiness. Strong chilli. Very spicy. On the second sip it gets dimmer. Meat. Aftertaste is not as powerful, but lots of plastic an artificial notes. Not much on the second and third sip. Spicy. Short. Overall, i can see why this expression has suffered a lot of bad critics, since it is a special release and it is an average dram. It is quite inferior to the great Committee release of the same name. Not a bad whisky at all, i believe it could be a little expensive for what it offers. My score for it is 86 over 100.

Sea spray, tart fruit, smoked almonds, kettle corn, cinnamon.

Nose is straight fire, palate is jerky, and sweetness

Nose: Syrup burning on the coals of an extinguished beach campfire. Just a lovely, complex nose. Sweetness and salty peat competing for your taste buds. Palate: Fairly forgettable palate unfortunately. Watery mouthfeel. Finish: Wonderful smoke and peat. Nose is wonderful, palate is disappointing, and finish is okay.

Spicy!