Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
Okay, I’m nearing the end of the random Ardbeg I have lying around. Today I have two committee releases, the Blaaack from 2019, and the 2020 special release of Arrrrrrrdbeg! to commemorate the retirement of Mickey Heads. Basically two NAS Ardbeg in random, weird casks. What could go wrong?!!
Tasted on 8/28/2022, neat in a Glencairn, water added later as appropriate.
Pic from WhiskyBase, I was too lazy today.
Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 51.8%, cask strength
Age: NAS. Bottled on 08/05/2020.
Cask type: Ex-Rye cask
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. In celebration of Mickey Heads’ retirement after 13 years as distillery manager
Nose: sweet lemons and limes. Peat, ash. Diesel. Sea spray. Breakfast sausage. Hay. Rye. With Water: more rye and citrus.
Taste: big smoke, ash. Mild pepper. Lime. Rye. Seawater. Bacon. A little hot. A little dry. With Water: more spice.
Finish: quite mild smoke and ash. Mild pepper. Limes. Rye. A bit hot. Most of the flavors fade very, very quickly, though it ends up long on white pepper. With Water: lots more rye and spice. Dryer.
Summary: this is, well, interesting. When I started writing notes I really didn’t want to say “rye” everywhere, but honestly there’s no better way to describe it at times. It’s exactly what it says on the tin: Ardbeg wholly matured in ex-rye casks. I like rye, but this isn’t my jam. The nose is quite nice, but I feel let down on the palate and especially in the finish where most of the flavors fade very quickly and I’m left with a long, simple finish of very mild pepper. A little water added gets you more… wait for it… rye. It’s not a bad whisky, it’s just not really for me.
Would I buy a bottle? oops
Final Score: 77.
Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release
Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Islay
ABV: 50.7%
Age: NAS. Bottled in 2019.
Cask type: Pinot Noir
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: earthy peat smoke. Sweet cherries, lemon, vanilla. Seawater. Iodine. A little tar. Eucalyptus. Oak. Some cardboard initially seems to have faded. Linseed oil. With Water: same.
Taste: sweet. Mild ashy smoke. Cherries, citrus. Vanilla. Oil. Nice mouthfeel. With Water: same.
Finish: nice pop of ashy smoke. Sweet citrus, cherries. Seawater. Slightly medicinal. White pepper, eucalyptus. Earthy. Tannic, a bit of red wine. Nice length on smoke, fruit, and mild spice. With Water: same.
Summary: this is much better than I expected. Nice earthy peat, lots of sweet fruits, some maritime and medicinal notes. Mild spice is integrated into it, and it’s all well balanced. The nose carries through on the palate. I think the wine comes through most on the finish, but overall it’s balanced well with everything else and doesn’t dominate. Water doesn’t really change it at all. Not the most complex dram, but overall quite well done.
Would I buy a bottle? yes
Final Score: 87.
Comparison
Order: Sheep > Pirates
The Pinot is a nice accent in the Blaaack that I think works really well with the more typical Ardbeg flavors. The rye doesn’t work nearly as well IMO, making for an easy ordering of these two.
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 