A lot of people applauded Ardbeg Wee Beastie for being brave enough to put an age statement of 5 years on it. Bold move for a scotch, they said. Just goes to show age isn’t everything, they said. Well, it is and it isn’t. I like the Beastie, and it’s proof that, as long as you keep price in check, younger whiskies with age statements can be enjoyable. After all, when Beatie hit markets around here it was $43. Now it’s $50 ,and it’s pricing me out. If the 10 Year Ardbeg is $65, I’d rather pay $15 more for a superior whisky. And the reason I’m bringing up Wee Beastie here, is The Storm tastes similar: it’s young, there’s NAS, and compared to Talisker 10, it’s not quite worth the asking price unless you can find it on clearance/sale. Or maybe not? I guess it depends on the market. I got this on clearance in NJ at Circle Liquor in Sommers Point where list price was $80 and it was sold for $50. Seems quite a deal. But when I look at prices online, particular Total Wine, it looks like $52 is supposed to be closer to list price anyway, so I bought it on clearance yet at what in some places if full price. Let me just say, this is, in my estimate, a whisky I’d be willing, after I’ve tasted it, to pay about $45 for, which means short of finding it on clearance from the list price of $52, I won’t be buying again. The nose is reminiscent of Beastie in that there’s a Werther’s Original grandpa butterscotch in the pocket note that’s playing with the peat. The butterscotch is running up the slide while the peat is coming down it. There’s also a little bit of vanilla hidden in between them as though they’re playing squish the lemon with an unsuspecting kid who was just hoping to sit there between them nondescript. And maybe a little lemon on the backend. Okay, so given that, its’ a nice nose. Maybe a little more complex than I at first gave it credit for, but far from the delectable dram the 10 Year Talisker is. On the palate the lemon is prominent with the peat, adding a dose of bacon fat that’s the most prominent note for me on the finish, and is, in fact, the most unique note in the whole experience. There’s maybe even an hint of strawberry in there as it fades that reminds me a great deal of the Kilchoman Machir Bay Cask Strength. Overall, there’s really nothing wrong with this, and it’s quite pleasing. It’s the kind of pour I’d never turn down, and if I were at a bar, I might even order it if it was reasonably priced. But since I don’t drink at bars often, I only can tell you what I think is reasonably priced in bottles. I’m sticking with $45 here. If you can find it for that, get it. It may even be worth the list price at $52. I haven’t tasted it side-by-side with the Beastie, but I may prefer this one. They’re both passable young peated scotches whose older brethren are far superior but are also priced that way. Overall, in both cases, you can’t go wrong with the 10 Year, and the younger brothers give hints of what’s to come, even if they can’t live up to their elder siblings records. P.S. I do like the expert reviewer’s note here: “it loses points for a name that doesn't deliver; this is more moody and brooding than stormy and intense." Whereas for Wee Beastie, I kind of liked the name because it sounds like there’s a little harshness contained there and leads me to expect it to have a bite the 10 year doesn’t have, Storm does sort of up the ante and make you think it’s going to go all Scorpions and rock you like a hurricane. Sadly, there is no hurricane here. So in my final assessment I think I'll be docking this a quarter star from my Beastie rating.