Ardbeg Smoketrails Côte Rôtie Edition

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Bourbon and Côte Rôtie Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Travel Retail Edition

Single Malt 

Launched in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 54 ppm 

 

 

 

The Smoketrails range is exclusively for travel retail. Three bottlings have been released so far, and this is the second, launched in October 2023. It is a blend of Bourbon and Côte Rôtie wine casks, a French wine appellation from the Côtes du Rhône.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The thick smoke typical of Ardbeg, but with a certain sweetness. Iodine, sea spray and a few vinous notes, polished wood and caramel, light tannins. Hot chestnuts, charred, chocolate cake, mahogany, cinnamon and cloves. Almond paste. On the palate, some fruit, plums and grapes, but very quickly the herbaceous peat takes over, with peppery spices. Roasted hazelnuts, heather, rosemary. Fairly long finish but not quite explosive, knob of caramel, cola, fine charcoal, clumps of spongy peat, artichoke heart, ginger, dark and thick honey. Bubbles of fuel oil.

 

In Short, 

You can barely taste the fruit, which in my opinion is a good thing. The wine casks mainly add sweetness and woody aromas, which soften the Ardbeg profile without distorting it, so I'm satisfied. It's not a great whisky, but it's very pleasant to drink if you're a fan of the distillery, it goes down a treat. As for the price, it's sometimes very high for what it is, but luckily I got it on special offer and it was perfect.

Score : 86

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Spellling - Portrait of my Heart