Review #217 - Ardbeg 5 Year Wee Beastie
A bold 5 year age statement is the biggest point of interest here - heavily peated whiskies can definitely be good at a young age, as that's when the phenol flavors will be the strongest, but will it be too spirity? Ardbeg's own website claims that this is the smokiest Ardbeg in the range.
This is aged in ex-bourbon casks and ex-sherry casks - Oloroso sherry, to be specific. Due to the young age of the spirit, it's likely that these were some active casks, most likely first fill.
Ardbeg 5 Year Wee Beastie
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 38 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 48 (2024)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 47.4% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 11 months; bottles at 90%, 70%, and 30% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Strong peat, smoky and salty, with some ash or charred wood as well. Definitely a bit raw, but packed with flavor; hints of pepper and dry oak add more spice, while fruits of cooked apple, savory orange, and raspberry add some fruity sweetness. There's a nice savory element as well - saucy, just a hint of funk.
Palate: A lot of peppery peat - spicy, spirity, hot peppers, and dry oak. The complexion is generally light, with bits of ashy wood fire, baked bread, salt, and green bell peppers all plentiful; orange fruit, cinnamon, and a sweet barbecue sauce zing arrive in time. Later in the palate, the smoke becomes a little more medicinal; the mouthfeel has a medium thickness with some oily texture.
Finish: Medium-long, with smoke as the largest flavor in the finish. There's a hint of oaky astringency again, and the spice continues with lots of pepper and hints of tobacco in the smoke. Softer flavors of lime soda, sweet lemon, and bell pepper can occasionally be found.
Final Note: This impressed us quite a bit for the age and price point. It's definitely a bit of a raw, spicy experience, but if you're looking for a big smack of peat for a relative bargain price, look no further than this. That price is actually creeping up in our area in the last couple of years, but it still represents one of the best values in peated single malt.
Our Average Rating: 6.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.92
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