Ardbeg 21 Year

Review by: The Muskox

Good evening, Scotchit! Huge thanks to my man Brad for bringing me some of this. Everyone loves old Ardbeg! Lucky for me, I know plenty of generous Ardbeg cultists fans with plenty of aged nectar to share.

Distillery: Ardbeg.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islay.

ABV: 46%.

Age: 21 years. Bottled in 2016.

Cask type: Ex-bourbon casks.

Price: N/A.

Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Now we’re talking. Heavy, funky, earthy peat. Seaweed, smoked cheese, even goat cheese! That’s a new one. There’s some of that Ardbeg lime note. The cheesiness along with a solventy gasoline note reminds me of something an older Ledaig. Next comes some nutty richness: nutmeg, black olive, and maple syrup. Something like grape bubblegum as well.

Palate: More of that tart goat cheese out front, along with blossoming peat. The olives are still here, but they’ve sweetened into something like grape jelly. Funnily enough, I’m also picking up peanut butter. More maple here. Then some wood, but more of a softwood/pine sort of thing than oak. Some citrus pith bitterness comes before the peat takes over. Heavy, savoury cigar smoke, and more of that gasoline.

Finish: Woah, it gets sweet and floral! I got hibiscus of all things, as well as honey. The peat hasn’t completely disappeared though: There’s charcoal and sea salt underneath. More of those olives, with that lactic note again and some chlorine.

Conclusion: Don’t let the weird notes I mentioned in here turn you off: this stuff is undeniably delicious. For you Ardbeg funk enthusiasts, this is a must-try. I don’t think I like it quite as much as that Laphroaig 10 CS I tried the other day, but man, this was fun to drink. I wonder how my upcoming 200th review can top this…

Final Score: 88.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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