Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla Edition

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

American Oak and Manzanilla Sherry Casks

Original Bottling 

Travel Retail Edition 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 54 ppm

 

 

 

Ardbeg's Travel Retail range was launched in 2022. It was to be called Smoketrails. Three bottlings have been released so far, and this is the first, resulting from a blend of simple American Oak casks with Manzanilla Sherry casks. As is almost always the case with this distillery, the age is not specified, but it is non-chill filtered.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Dry and grassy peat, blond tobacco, sherry brings a beautiful fruitiness, mirabelle and greengage plums, grapefruit, liquid honey, powerful smoke, solid and rocky minerality, waxed wood, basalt, granite. The iodine is subtle, but still noticeable, with a hint of sea spray, foam and a pinch of salt. On the palate, it works very well, it is oily, rose water blends with peat, lychees, lime, controlled spices, icing sugar, leading to a very long, explosive, peppery finish. Almond paste, coconut, vanilla ice cream.

 

In Short, 

I really enjoyed it. I think the combination of Bourbon and Manzanilla Sherry works well, and it goes nicely with the Ardbeg profile. It reminds me of Ardbeg Ten, but smoother and a little less iodised. The price is an issue, it's too expensive for a NAS, but if you shop around, you can find it at a reasonable price. 

Score : 88 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Bloodbark - Time is Nothing