Review by: dustbunna
Two years into this reviewing thing and I’m finally getting around to one of the more popular and accessible whiskies from Islay. I’ve reviewed Corryvreckan and Uigeadail before and enjoyed both of them; it’s time to fill in the Ardbeg picture a bit more.
This is Ardbeg’s standard entry-level expression, matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks. All entry-level Islay bottles are fairly steeply priced by my state’s liquor board, so I paid a bit over the odds for this one at $60. Typically I see it in other parts of the US in the $40-50 range, which is excellent for the stats it has on the bottle: it’s age-stated, bottled at 46%, no added color, no chill-filtration. (I hope it stays at its current price with the 5yr ‘Wee Beastie’ now extending their core range on the lower end.)
Distillery: Ardbeg.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Islay.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 10 years. Bottled in 2020.
Cask type: First-fill and second-fill ex-bourbon barrels.
Price: $60 USD.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 3 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: strong old-school lime candy, clay, ash, some smoked-ham meatiness in the background, a little rubber, lime candy takes over.
Palate: medium body ~ ripe Meyer lemons and oranges, campfire smoke, vaguely medicinal and mineral notes in the background, sweetens and flattens out a little bit.
Finish: medium length ~ pot roast, salt, pillow mints, medicinal bitterness on the tail end, eucalyptus, lime zest, a bit more sweet mint comes forward, coal smoke.
Conclusion: Classic smoke/citrus/mineral trifecta. There’s some similarity for me between this and Port Charlotte 10, though the Ardbeg tends more bitter in its finish without the floral or lactic notes. Pretty consistent up to the heel, as well, with only the finish really changing much as the fill level dropped. In the core range, Ardbeg is now 3-for-3 giving me suggestions of old-timey-mill-gift-shop lime candy sticks; it’s a really distinct distillery characteristic and I love it.
Often I will rotate this with PC10 and Lagavulin 8 for a go-to young Islay to sip on, and while they are all fairly close, those other two are just a wee bit more appealing to my taste (they are all fantastic, just my personal preference.) I think it’s usually tough to beat the Ten at its price and availability, but locally PC10 is less than $10 north of it, and I think that’s an equal or better value proposition.
Final Score: 83.
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.
Malt Runners 