jonwilkinson7309
Ardbeg Grooves
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed
January 3, 2020 (edited September 29, 2022)
Ahh, Ardbeg. I've fully explored Arbeg's core offerings, but never had any of the annual limited edition bottles. I began to remedy that deficiency during my recent visit to the Flatiron Room in NYC by selecting the Grooves.
Quite simply, this is a gem. Full of flavor, both sweet and smoke, with a fairly gentle but lengthy finish. There's a lot to like here, but the two highlights are the red wine finish notes, which are strongest on the beginning of the palate and throughout the finish, and the peat smoke, which makes a grand entrance mid-palate. The wine notes are natural straightforward fruit sweetness. As for the peat, Ardbeg's is simply my favorite. Bold, barbeque and meaty, without ashiness or any trace of smoky bitterness. That peat note is on full display in the Groove.
Perhaps the most pleasant surprise came when I located a bottle for sale at a reasonable price. I expected they would be entirely gone. I look forward to exploring the Grooves in more depth!
The Flatiron Room
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@jonwilkinson7309 Yes i like them better than the core range as well.
@Soba45. It was $109. So yes - more pricey than the core line. But the only core line Ardbeg that I like as much as this one is the Uigeadail, so it was worth the extra cost. The Drum still seems to be widely available, so I'll wait to see if I can try before I buy.
Not to sure what u picked it up for but here they go for $120 which is pricey compared to their core offerings so you can generally pick up bottles 2 years after their release.