51.6% abv; NAS; Non-chill filtered Nose: wow. Lots happening here. That classic deep earth peat and smoke blends nicely with a bouquet of ripe, bright fruits. Picking up melon, pineapple, pears and apples. The nose is a pure joy. Palate: don’t let that nose fool you! Ardbeg Grooves packs a wallop of campfire smoke in its full, viscous mouth feel. As Grooves works you over, all sorts of subtle spice notes (nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and others) and vanilla, along with tropical and orchard fruits make their presence known, but harmoniously. The wine casking shows up the most here, but it does not overwhelm. Phew. Finish: long and strong. The earthy, ashy Ardbeg smoke really lingers on the tongue, in a similar style to the Corryvrecken or Laphroaig Triple Wood. This may be its only blemish, depending on your palate. But the floral and fruit notes still pop through the clouds to add a juicy, almost citrusy-sweet-meringue flavor with a dusting of powdered sugar. And it hangs around forever. Add a dash or two of water, as it tames the smoke a bit and allows the full range of fruit and spice flavors to assert themselves. This is a fantastic dram from Ardbeg. I can’t compare it to other committee releases as this is my first one (I’ve come a long way in just a years time, eh?), so I’ll leave that to the seasoned vets. Scored this bottle a few days after it’s release for $119 in Vienna, VA. H/t to @Telex for pointing me in the right direction. 4.5/5 Start hunting, folks.