Ardbeg Smoketrails Napa Valley Edition

 

 

 

46°

Distillery : Ardbeg - Islay

Bourbon Barrels and Napa Valley Red Wine Casks

Original Bottling 

Travel Retail Edition 

Single Malt 

Launched in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Peated around 54 ppm

 

 

 

The third Travel Retail bottling to be launched by Ardbeg is this one, a blend of Bourbon Barrels and red wine casks from Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon apparently. It seems that the entire batch was bottled in 2024, for a release in January 2025. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Quite intense peat, greasy smoke, cotton candy, subtle fruity notes in the background. Spongy wood, braised damsons, blackberry jam, overwhelming iodine. Sea spray, foam, almond paste. Finally, earthy notes, dry earth, crumbling. Tannins, tar, liquorice. It's quite clear on the palate, vanilla, but peppery, aniseed, candy that melts under the tongue, olive oil. The spices become stronger and stronger, cumin, cloves. Soft caramel. Quite violent, long finish, chicory, caramel, dripping charcoal, lots of liquorice. Dried red plums. Fragments of lignite.

 

In Short, 

All in all, it's not bad, but there are some major flaws. In my opinion, the liquid is very young, which means that the nose lacks a little complexity, and it's very light on the palate. Fortunately, the finish is really pleasant and makes up for it a little. It's the worst Ardbeg I've tasted so far, offering little of interest. At the price it's sold for, it's too expensive for what it is, but luckily I got it on special offer. I'm not sure I won't regret my purchase, though.

Score : 85  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           High Vis - Mind's a Lie