47,4°
Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay
Ex-Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry Casks
Original Bottling
Core Range
Single Malt
Launched in 2020
Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured
Peated around 54 ppm
It was in the middle of the first confinement that Ardbeg launched its brand new entry into the regular range, the first since An Oa in 2017. The extreme youth of the product shocked the many detractors of the distillery, but let's not forget that a few decades ago, 5 years was the normal age for a whisky.
Let's Taste It :
Pungent peat. Less complex than the Ten, but more aggressive. Some spices, turmeric, chilli, paprika. Meat well char-grilled but still rare. The seaweed is very present. Few iodine notes, more like the edge of a brackish pond than a beach. Nice steamy smoke, typical of the distillery. Behind, a certain sweetness, almost honeyed, pine thorns, wood resin. Eucalyptus. The peat intensifies and we enter sinister lands. Coal, sticky soot, thick mud, gas oil. It's stormy. It balances out after a while, with a hint of fruit, ripe apricot, grapefruit. But that was just a lull, and the peat picks up again, with a powerful blast that sweeps you away. This is what I call the Ardbeg Blast. Mangrove, reeds, banana leaves. Slight bitterness on the palate, still very planty, but also slightly spicy and peppery. Juniper. Really long finish, but not as strong as usual with this distillery, Batavia, chlorophyll, lamb's lettuce. Charcoal evanescence, terracotta.
In Short,
All in all, I'm not disappointed by this newcomer. It seems older than it is, it's a bit complex, original, with several qualities. A few minor reservations: the palate is underwhelming, and the sherry is very meaty, it's almost too much. Anyway, it's still a good ratio at this price, unlike the Committee Releases.
Score : 86
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Foreigner - Urgent
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