This is the 2020 committee release bottled at 50.7% One of the good things about the COVID pandemic is that that one dude who buys up all the Ardbeg Committee releases the same day it comes out decided to stay home this year. This is the first time I have seen an Ardbeg CR on multiple store shelves for multiple days. This is actually one of the better Ardbeg releases. After I opened my bottle, I actually went to another store to buy a second bottle at $20 markup. The beauty of this whisky is I somehow get the wonderful memory of seasoning my carbon steel wok with flaxseed oil. Flaxseed oil is ideal for seasoning woks because it has the highest burning point. At 350 degrees F, it will start to evaporate without burning, leaving behind a nonstick coating. The evaporated oil will be caught by my vent filter, recondense into oil, and occasionally drip back down into these droplets that I cannot resist putting my nose in for a smell. I am also reminded of the same smell when I visited some traditional flaxseed oil mills in the Netherlands, except it’s called lineseed in Europe. It is rare for a whisky to snap me into a vivid memory like teleportation and time travel. For that, Ardbeg Blaaack deserves praise and a star. It surprises me that no other Ardbeg has been able to evoke a similar response; perhaps this is an emergent property of combining the peat monster that is Ardbeg with a delicate red wine that is pinot noir. This whisky also has, on the nose, some strawberry and raspberry sweetness from the pinot noir cask finish. On the palate, there is very little fruitiness as a brutal ashen smoke and soot take over with bits of burnt peanut, straw; with loads of black brine. What prevents this whisky from being spectacular is the price, and the fact that Longrow Red Pinot Noir exists, which is a cheaper whisky that I can still find gathering dust at some stores. If your really want pinot noir influence, the spectacularly juicy, fruity Longrow is the one you want. Ardbeg Blaaack nonetheless provides a compelling and indeed black experience. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $140-160 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $140