Review #33 - Ardbeg An Oa
NAS Ardbeg Mini-Series: Part 1 of 3
For our next series, it's time to take a look as some of Ardbeg's core range releases, specifically those without an age statement. While the reliable 10 year old and fiery 5 year old Wee Beastie are good value picks and always available, it's becoming increasingly common in the last few years to see An Oa, Corryvreckan, and Uigeadail on the shelf as well. These are all quite popular, so we'll do a quick comparison and see which comes out on top for our specific tastes.
Ardbeg has been a family favorite brand since we first discovered heavily peated whisky, and while some of us have moved on to other taste preferences over time, there are generally still several bottles from this brand on our shelf. With the trend in the industry of embracing NAS bottlings now, and a reduction in age stated releases as stocks of old whisky are strained due to huge demand, the Ardbeg core NAS releases have become mainstays for us.
An Oa, named for the Mull of Oa, a rocky peninsula on the Isle of Islay, is supposed to show a more approachable side to Ardbeg when compared to its stronger siblings. Still, according to the brand, we can expect a dram with smoky power, plenty of fruits, sweets, and spices, and a rounded and balanced experience.
Ardbeg An Oa
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 60 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 57 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46.6% ABV
Cask Makeup: PX, Virgin Oak, Ex-bourbon, and 'others'
Details: Non chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 12 months; bottles at 50%, 70%, and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Coastal peat and barbecue smoke start us out, though it's far from overpowering. There's barbecue sauce mixed with fruits of berry and plum, and a little bit of orange; later, the fruits are even sweeter and more green and yellow, as well as a touch of steak seasoning spice. Bit of salt and oil, not too oaky, and some grass and semi-dry hay are here as well, and we can't forget to mention the minerality, with a bit of petrichor. Lighter complexion, baked bread, and sweet stone fruit like peach or nectarine finish us out.
Palate: Oily and peppery on the palate, hotter than expected at first, with jalapeno and savory smoke. Peat is moderate or a bit more, and with that smoke comes the familiar dry-rub barbecue, as well as cinnamon red hot candies. Later, the fruit comes back, in the form of blood orange, sweet green fruit like lime, and a green pepper. There is some drying oak, hints of wood spice and baking spice light clove or nutmeg, some honey, and one time, a just a bit of peanut. The mouthfeel is a medium thickness.
Finish: Medium length finish, which got longer as the bottle was opened for more months. The smoky peat trails off nicely, and the oak tingle that hangs around is somewhat mild. Just a hint of that barbecue once more, and we find smoked paprika, fresh green vegetation, and a fruit that's hard to place, maybe stone fruit. It's somewhat oily and slightly coastal, too.
Final Note: Good stuff, but the finish didn't always quite live up to the tasty nose and palate. That said, we can definitely recommend this bottle, especially if the pricing stays reasonable as it seems to be (for now). Barbecue is a hallmark flavor for us when it comes to Ardbeg, and this one delivers, along with plenty of complexity and other notes.
Our Average Rating: 7.6 / 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: 7.82
