Ardbeg Wee Beastie

Great for the price especially.

Do you realize how confident you have to be if you are a renowned distillery to actually release a 5yo whisky and use that age statement AS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY? Well, i bet Ardbeg is feeling pretty confident since they didn't just released it, they sold everything; and the most important part, they made a very, very good whisky. "Wee Beastie", is Ardbeg's new expression, that represents a scottish phrase used to describe any type of beast (it might actually be a mosquito, lol). They sell it as "the monster dram", invoking the concept of how peaty drams are way more powerful when they are young; that is why most Islay drams tend to use a 10yo age statement which has been proven a good age for smokey flavors and aromas. Bottled at 47.4%abv, pale straw color. On the nose it is amazing. Starts with a very perfumed coffee note, with lemon and tar. Feels very maritime, creosote notes are very distinguishable. Chocolate. Floor disinfectant (so crazy), vanilla, smoked ham. Dulce de leche is somewhere there, under a pretty powerful peat layer. After the first sip it became so much sweeter, that it resembles a Smokey Vanilla milk shake (if such thing exists). On the palate is very nice, it actually starts being very sweet, with a very clean vanilla note, but after two seconds, it explodes into this pepper bomb. It feels young but not unpleasant, very herbal like tea. Slight notes of leather. Aftertaste is very sulphuric but really enjoyable. Smoke, salt, coal, burnt popcorn, more salt, sea water. There is also this PENCIL aftertaste note (that is right! it tastes like chewing those old wooden pencils). Very salty, very maritime, very peaty. Nice stuff. Overall this is a well balanced, fully flavored whisky. It is rewarding, it is fun, it is interesting, and it is young and cheap. Ardbeg nailed this one, it is not an untamed beast, but it is surely a powerful dram. Loved it, 92 over 100 is my score for it. Sláinte!

Typical Ardbeg peaty aromas, with some grassy and salty character, a bit of sweet fruit On palate it has strong alcohol sensation and fairly oily, the grassy notes turn into green bell pepper, but it is still pleasantly complementing the peat. Finish is not very long, sweet and a bit oaky

Nose: smokey, earthy, MEATY! some peat. Palate: everything the nose leads it up to be. This is my first Ardbeg and I absolutely love it. Don't fear the young age, Its wonderful! Everything is perfectly balanced in this young Whiskey. I would suggest this to anyone over the legal age of consumption. The only recommendation I would have is slightly more proof. But other than that, its magnificent.

Light, blond color in the glass. Licorice and pine on the nose. First sip is certainly pleated and gives a non-trivial burn, but it leads into a cloying, playful dance of currant seed, eucalyptus oil, and a whiff of Kingsford charcoal briquettes. Four seconds later, traces of matchstick. Not like those cheap matchsticks that Grampa used to light his cigars, but those big long ones that are used to light campfires. You know, CLASSY matchsticks. I recommend tasting this one after a meal of spaghetti carbonara made with venison meatballs and noodles al dente with a side salad of lettuce and fresh tomato with a light vinaigrette. The moon must be in its waxing crescent phase.

Holy hell... salty fruity smoky fudgy tart goodness. 💯💯💯