Review #4 - Ardbeg 10 Year
This is a family favorite brand, specifically that of my wife and some of her family, and it isn't hard to see why: for those who enjoy a peaty experience, this classic Islay malt is bottled at a good strength and has plenty of complexity behind the blast of smoke to explore.
Often cited as one of the best values in heavy peat and a great introduction to Islay whisky, Ardbeg's 10 Year single malt is a dram of which few can argue the quality. While not all of this distillery's recent endeavors (both in the bottle and outside it) have received as much love from the whisky community, the core range of releases are still giving us plenty to talk about.
Ardbeg 10 Year
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 55 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 57 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 46%
Details: Un-chill filtered and no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 10 months; bottles at 90%, 40%, and 10% fill level at times of review. Tasted neat in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: There's peat up front of course, but a lighter background follows it. Some seaside brine in the peat, very lightly medicinal, but also a bit of barbecue; the oak comes forward more on a second smell, a touch of sawdust, and there is a little bit of ash in it. The spirit behind all of this has character of lemons, even sweet lemon mold, and a bit of green fruit and plant. Hints of sharper icing sugar, maybe a bit of heat/spice/oil, and a little hint of malt if looking for it; it finishes with a bit of seaweed and balsamic.
Palate: A decent amount of oil or butter, medium peat with a lush greenish complexion, and it builds to a heavy peat level. A decent level of salinity now, and along with a medium thickness mouthfeel, the smokiness takes on the form of a mild campfire, even a bit of barbecue with sweet fruits. Sharper lemon comes in as well, with a touch of spice like pepper and cayenne; rounds off with sweeter notes of vanilla and wood sugars.
[On a subsequent tasting, not one used for an 'official' review, there was a distinct bell pepper taste; not green, but a yellow or orange pepper. After adding water, this gave way to a buttery note, but the bell pepper returned another 15 minutes later.]
Finish: This is a medium length finish, both savory and sweet, and even a touch of sour later on; decent depth. Not too hot, somewhat nice, and while the peat lingers, there is plenty of lemon zest, tropical citrus, a sweet barbecue sauce, and some wood tannins that gently tickle the palate. Finishes with mild butterscotch and wood smoke.
Final Note: This is a whisky that will likely always have a space on our shelf, not only because it's one of our favorites and a great gateway to introduce new whisky drinkers to a peat blast, but also because of the fantastic value compared to many modern day malts. Good presentation, reasonable price, great availability, and solid complexity will keep us coming back again and again.
Our Average Rating: 7.5 / 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: 7.96
