To continue with single malt reviews today's whisky is another from Islay, that amazing and beautiful little island off the west coast of Scotland. Up to now I've done Bruichladdich (Octomore) and Laphroaig (the 10 year), so Ardbeg will complete the trio of our favorite distilleries there. Like Laphroaig, Ardbeg is one of three distilleries (the other being Lagavulin) along the south coast of the island. Taking a paved trail from Port Ellen, the ferry port and largest settlement, you can walk the distance in a single day and visit them all, even if you do tours. We've done the walk and it was tremendously fun.
Founded in 1815, Ardbeg mostly produced whisky for blending as was/is extremely typical. The distillery survived until 1981 when it was shuttered for most of the decade. A fascinating part of distilleries shutting down, however, is they still have whisky maturing and increasing in value all the while. Production partially resumed in 1989 and everything was up and running fully in 1997 after they were bought by Glenmorangie, a Highland distillery. A few years later both were acquired by French luxury company LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) which owns them today. For only having two pot stills, one wash and one spirit, they produce a considerable amount of whisky, though still less than most of their Islay neighbors. And in exciting news, they're apparently expanding to double their capacity in the near future.
Today, Ardbeg sells a wide variety of quality single malts and that's what makes them special. As one of the famous heavily peated whisky makers they don't shy away from the Islay reputation in any way, especially in their marketing. Word like big, bold and untamed are common descriptors. The 10 year, at 92 proof, is the flagship and a bottle we regularly have open in our house. The others in their core range are some delectable variations including An Oa (with PX) and Corryvreckan (cask strength). But it's the limited release bottles that are most interesting. Every year for Fèis Ìle (a huge whiskey and music festival), Ardbeg releases a special bottling. All the distilleries do this, though Ardbeg eventually makes theirs commercially available while almost everyone else does not. They release this whisky early to their 'committee,' essentially a giant fan club of the distillery. The limited committee release versions, with a different label and at a higher proof, are rare items. When visiting in 2017, we were able to snag a committee release of Kelpie since it was shortly before Fèis Ìle, and it's one of my more prized bottles.
Alright, I need to stop ranting about Ardbeg. Seriously though, if you're lucky enough to visit Islay this is absolutely one of the distilleries to splurge on the tasting tour. It's worth it.
The whisky being reviewed here hasn't even been mentioned yet. It's brand new, first released this year. Called 'Wee Beastie,' it's once again very much in line with Ardbeg's whole theme. Only five years old, it's also quite young for a single malt with an age statement. They claim an intention to create an even more raw and smoky version of their whisky, though in the current market (also taking the pandemic into account) it's not surprising to see a younger whisky released. Skepticism aside, I love Ardbeg and take them at their word. My wife picked this one up at Jack Rose, possibly the best whiskey bar in the world, which has become a pop-up whiskey shop during Covid.
ABV - 47.4% (94.8 proof)
Mash - 100% malted barley
Maturation - ex-Bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks
Age - at least 5 years
Region - Islay
Price - ~$45
Smell - A little raw, refreshing pine and not overly aggressive peat smoke
Color - Very light, like a pale yellow
Taste - Sweet apples before pepper, leather, peat and sea brine all crash the party
Finish - Dry and long, a fiery numbness on the roof of your mouth persists
Final Thoughts:
I'm not sure this is the smokiest Ardbeg but it's got to be the most raw. That said, it's really good and I'm still surprised after a few drams considering the age and color. While no Ardbeg is especially refined this is a truly different animal and I love it. At some point I'll have to compare it to the 10 year and An Oa (another personal favorite) and see what I think then.
Now I'm not saying everyone should run out and buy this however. I'm more accustomed to peaty whisky than many and this is not a good place to start. As I said in the starting whiskey recommendations post, for Islay single malts I'd start with Laphroaig 10. Ardbeg 10 is another fantastic choice that I just couldn't justify adding to that list. If you like those and want something even more feral, then Wee Beastie is certainly recommended.
Cheers!
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