PBMichiganWolverine
Ardbeg Grooves (2018 Committee Release)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
March 23, 2018 (edited October 21, 2024)
I had a pour of this last night, courtesy from my finance gal during our end of Q1 portfolio review. How is it that the market went up, but she managed to keep my portfolio below indices? Just for that, she should’ve bought me the entire bottle. But anyway, I digress. This is simply put—-amazing. It’s just dirty filthy, as if you took a dive into a pile of soot. If you like smoke and peat, this makes the Ardbeg 10 seem like a peck on the cheek compared to a full fledge French kiss with plenty of hand action. The nose is sexy filthy, like a big bucket of tar and soot. Topped with a layer of salt. Taste is just as dirty. Soot and bonfires. Bitter sweetness comes in much later, I guess as part of the mandatory requirement from the wine finishing. Kids, this isn’t for the faint of heart. My finance gal had a sip from mine, and almost gagged. She needed it to wash it down with her white wine. Her exact words were “ Jesus, it’s like licking a burnt piece of wood, then having a sweet cherry”. The only thing even more enticing she possibly could’ve even said is “congrats, your portfolio did a 500% return this quarter’”.
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Yum! Sounds like "Grooves" is a winner. I stumbled upon a bottle a my local B&M for $129 and jumped on it. After reading your review I am so looking forward to trying this release.
@Generously_Paul and with my liver intact (as of now)
Oh yes, a huge congratulations on reaching 400. No easy feat
Great review - sounds like a sexy brute. Damn! I had the offer of two Committee bottles and didn't take it up (the shipping and excise to Australia would make you faint). Have to wait for June 2nd now ... grumble.
Oh and congrats on no 400!
😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
@PBMichiganWolverine - I did get an email on the Grooves and planned to pass on it until I saw your review. Just scored the last bottle for $115. I have the bottle in hand. Thanks Pranay! :)
@Soba45 I think that’s what it started at here too ($120), but now it’s a silly $300 price.
They usually have a bunch available around Ardbeg Day in certain retailers who are the local 'authorized reseller'. They usually have samples of the regulars and bottles of the committee. I could have got a bottle of the kelpie committee last year but was lazy and turned up a couple of hours after start time and literally 1 min to late. Price was round $160USD last time
It’s like the mafia. You’re never truly out 😊
The SDT will truly never end, Pranay. So long as new distilleries continue to open we will always have to “put the band back together” and go on tour. We’re the Rolling Stones of Scotch Whisky connoisseurs- just when you think we’re done... I guess that makes me Keith Richards, too. Because I should probably be dead, lol.
Yeah, me too...as soon as SDT is done in two more rounds, I’m taking up gardening in the summer and pickling in the winter.
@LeeEvolved Funny you should mention but I was at the Amrut distillery in Bangalore today (long story) and they literally sell something called Three Aces Whisky in juice boxes. They have a whole Tetra-pak line for 180ml cartons.
They aren’t going to be the end of me- I’m very close to switching hobbies again. This time it’s going to be to some beverage that I can get Amazon to deliver for free in two hours or less. Juice boxes, maybe. Then I’ll add a little homegrown moonshine and BAM! No more fighting rush hour while hacking up a lung, no more credit card meltdowns, no more autographs for FedEx/UPS drivers.... Juice Box Whisky Company tagline: “Use the little straw like a man.” Who wants some?
Yeah he mentioned that. These CE releases and series releases are going to be the end of us.
@Generously_Paul did @LeeEvolved tell you...I’ve never seen a clerk that happy to cancel an order. I called literally 5 seconds later to repurchase, and he told me they’re already sold.
@Rick_M I’d say close to No Name, but with a sweeter backbone.
Thanks, Pranay. As if this bronchitis and flu hasn’t made me feel bad enough over the past week...
@PBMichiganWolverine - This sounds too good to be true. :)
Lee got screwed over by two stores yesterday. He could have grabbed a few for $120 each but they wouldn’t sell to him.
@Generously_Paul I think the ones still available are over priced. Close to $300. And to think @LeeEvolved and I had 2 paid for, but we canceled the order because we thought $180 was too high.
@PBMichiganWolverine is getting more and more PG-13 these days. Wish I could have gotten one, but they all seem to be spoken for already