Review #34 - Ardbeg Corryvreckan
NAS Ardbeg Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3
For the second entry in this series of NAS Ardbeg core bottlings, we're looking at Corryvreckan. Named for a whirlpool near the Isle of Islay, this hefty bottle comes in at a 'cask strength' of 57.1%, so it should be packing plenty of flavor and smoke (not that many Ardbeg bottles lack those two things).
A hot topic for debate in the whisky enthusiast community is whether we prefer the Corryvreckan or Uigeadail bottlings; with their different cask types and bottling strengths, each has a unique twist on the Ardbeg formula with some merit. Which do we prefer? We'll find out this week.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 96 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 115 (2023)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 57.1% ABV
Details: Non chill filtered
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 5 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Big bunch of deep, rich peat up front, lots of wood as well, ashy wood; it can be just slightly acrid at times. Quite a bit going on here, notes are coming in fast: earthy, sea salt, lemon and orange zest, just a bit of green moss or seaweed; fatty sausage, oils, pepperoni pizza, wood smoke, dry white barbecue meats. The ashy smoke is really the star, it's like the remains of an old campfire, still just slightly warm - old wood, soot, light white ash, smoldering logs. Bit of butter, sawdust off the work bench, and spices like white pepper and chili powder. We finish up with just a bit of bouquet, slightly medicinal... wow.
Palate: Punchy, rich and juicy, and strong peat up front once more. The medium-thick mouthfeel is full of ash, char or charcoal, mild oak which grows to medium influence, and some mellow tannins. Tons of that wood smoke, and again the remains of an extinguished campfire; there is a dry side, or even a bit of bitterness at times. Sharp tones of lemon citrus, which melts into lemon candies, along with a bit of butter. Light vanilla and sugars are there, along with some pepper, and at last we find a hint of that saucy barbecue, even ashy burnt barbecue.
Finish: The finish is medium-long, lots of tickling peat hanging around, but the wood smoke actually begins to take over. Lots of ex-bourbon notes now, in the form of oak, dry vanilla pods, charred orange rinds, buttery lemon. There is a little bit of warmth still there, and after we get through some salt, there is oil, like an orange oil extract.
Final Note: This is a very good whisky. So much going on - sometimes, almost too much? It can be overwhelming, and this sometimes comes across a bit hot. Still, with so many facets to explore, most people that like peated whisky will find something they enjoy, whether that's fruit, spice, or savory. This is also VERY heavily peated - it must be one of the peatiest whiskies we have tried, regardless of what 'PPM' ratings in this industry tell you. The ashy wood smoke accentuates the peat, and if you're into that flavor, this is a killer dram. This seemed to have some pretty active casks involved as well, definitely some first-fill ex-bourbon. Highly recommended if you can find it at a decent price, but unfortunately, this recently jumped about $20 to $25 per bottle in our market; at US$115 or so, there is a lot of competition, so we'll be having second thoughts about replacing this when it's gone.
Our Average Rating: 7.8 / 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: 6.71
