Review #220 - Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!
This committee release Ardbeg was bottled to celebrate the retirement of Mickey Heads, after he spent 13 years as the distillery manager. A first for Ardbeg, this single malt was fully matured in ex-rye casks, before it was bottled at 51.8% ABV.
Like most of the Ardbeg special releases, this doesn't come with any sort of age statement; while it would be a nice piece of information, especially at the price point, peated whisky is often at its most flavorful when relatively young.
Speaking of price points - back in 2020, when this was released, it was closer to the start of the huge rise in prices for Ardbeg special releases, and disgruntled conversation on the topic was just beginning. We found this in 2021 at a liquor store in the US for about $180, quite a steep price; not an easy decision, but as our interest in specialty single malts was rising rapidly, it was hard for us to resist.
Anyways, back to the whisky - due to the use of rye casks, we'll be looking for a sort of herbal or spicy element in the background of this whisky, as we expect the strong smoke will still be an overwhelming main flavor.
Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 180 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 330 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 51.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-rye casks
Details: Not chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 15 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80% (blind tasting), and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Salt and earthy green peat are the two most obvious notes at first - slightly medicinal, slightly mossy, slightly herbal. Soft fruits of lemon and melon add sweetness, but spice is more the focus here: pepper, charred tobacco, ash, and anise. There's also a bit of a savory side - overcooked poultry.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; salty, peaty, oily, and a decent savory side. Again, soft lemon and green apple add some subtle sweetness, along with icing sugar, but the focus is herbal, spicy notes: toasty oak, dry rub barbecue, pepper, sharp spirit, and mild jalapeno. With time, a little more fruit is teased out - unripe banana, maybe lime. Agave, minerality, and tobacco smoke appear even later... this is quite complex and changes over time.
Finish: Medium-long, sharp, and earthy. The peat is quite strong, and it's backed up by minerality, earth, pepper, anise, and some sharp citrus. Oranges and bell peppers add a slightly juicy dimension, while there's the tiniest hint of oak prickle at the end.
Final Note: That rye cask influence was quite subtle in our experience - this drank like an ex-bourbon Ardbeg, with just hints of herbal notes from time to time. The biggest difference was the spice, as this was quite a dry whisky overall, with lots of pepper and anise. Quite salty and peaty, as you expect with the distillery - a solid, tasty whisky, if a little unremarkable.
Because this release is several years old now, and it was relatively limited, prices for it are now quite a bit higher. Auction prices have softened as a whole recently, but if you're looking to buy a bottle that's available today, it's still going to be well over the original suggested retail price. Because of that, the value rating suffers a bit.
Our Average Rating: 7.3 / 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: 4.35
