Clarkebar
Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
October 8, 2021 (edited November 26, 2021)
Tasting this from a 200ml bottle in the Monsters of Smoke box collection. Nosing doesn't really reveal much to me other than smoke and peat. In the mouth I get peaty smoke and oily mouthfeel and taste. Color of straw and a little sweetness in the swallow to blend with the smoke and peat. But aftertaste leaves me with a dull sensation from the thin but oily coating.
Obviously any Whisky this young and junior in the family of very storied whiskys of Ardbeg will suffer by comparison. It is meant to fill a certain spot in the line-up and I think it succeeds, so far as it goes. Makes the most sense to me as it is presented in the Box collection, as a stepping stone. Most new Ardbeg drinkers should skip this one though and go right to An Oa if you want to get a very good sense of what the distillery is really all about. And it only gets better the further up you go thankfully.
Box set of 3 200mls $49.99 in PA. Contains Wee Beastie, An Oa and 10 yr.
I'll give the Wee Beastie a 3.25 but that is really being kind to an Islay House whose products fill my cabinet.
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@goalie30 Same here as far as Whiskey types. I have more Bourbon and Irish in the collection than anything, followed closely by Scotch. Once I started drinking a few years ago, it wasn't long before the Islay lure took hold. I am an ardent fan of the strong peat but have plenty of light to non-peated Scotch around as well.
I too am trying the monsters of smoke sampler set I figured it was a cheap way to introduce myself to Islay Scotch. Not sure it’s my thing, I prefer Irish, Bourbon or Rye.
@PBMichiganWolverine Depends on what you mean by the same price. @Clarkebar mentioned PA, and Beastie was on sale last month for $36.99. Not sure you can get many better scotches at that price point. Now if you were paying what I've seen is the SRP at 48$, I get what you're saying.
This is Ardbeg's entry into smoke n coke mixer
Yes indeed. Started thinking more about it after seeing the new Bond film last night. I think my expectations were too high and it actually pleases me to know that Ardbeg would release something with this taste profile and no complexity to speak of. I think it falls under "different strokes for different folks."
This was a let down. For about the same price, give or take, one can buy the 10, which is the standard Ardbeg torchbearer