Ardbeg Serendipity

40% abv

Score:  90/100

‘A happy accident’, I’ve read.  Or something along those lines.  The cynic in me sides with the sceptical masses on this one.  ‘Accident’?  Really?  Come now.  Please explain to me how an Ardbeg accidentally gets married with a Glen Moray.

And that is just what this dram is said to be comprised of.  20% 12 year old Glen Moray and 80% older Ardbeg (supposed age varies depending on which source you read).

Sigh.  Clever marketing aside…what have we here?

Nose:  Syrupy fruits (think canned pears or fruit cocktail with cherry), bubblegum and dinner buns.  Odd combination, to be sure, but the notes are all mild and unassuming.  It works well.  A touch of tame white pepper and salted lemon too.  This is a creamy dram, rich in sweet vanilla syrup.  Is there peat or smoke typical of an Ardbeg?  Undoubtedly.  But I’ll be damned if I can detect more than a faint whiff.  Lighter even, I’d think, than the recent Blasda.  Think old ’70s lightly peated Ardbeg.

The palate is equally smooth and light.  Sort of boasts an almost refreshing character.  Light white fruit and yeasty, doughy notes are well met by a vanilla woodiness fading into gristy barley notes.  Drying and slightly tart.  While not as delightful as the nose, the palate is still a charmer.  I do have to say…the nose is awesome!

Serendipity is definitely primarily Ardbeg at heart.  I can only imagine that the Glen Moray adds a vibrancy to the fruits (and likely some more ooomph to the vanilla influence through newer, more active, casks), but I’d be doing nothing more than speculating as to the true rationale for this marriage.

So…let’s just say this…

It is a vatting (a blended malt, if you will) with a clever gimmick and syrupy sweet name that seriously, seriously does what it was meant to do.  Try it if you can find it.  And…any out there who know where I can find a bottle…please do not hesitate to contact me.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Renaissance

55.9% abv

Score:  90/100

Fires of hell, is this hot!  Unbelievably explosive.  Ardbeg rarely fails to deliver an enormous whisky, both in terms of aloholic content and a flavor profile so defined it is nearly a caricature.  “Renaissance” is no exception.  This is the fourth installment in Ardbeg’s “young” line, which has allowed us to witness Ardbeg maturing from “Very Young” to “Still Young” to “Almost There” to this ten year old cask strength…”Renaissance”.  Brilliant little campaign that I wish we Westerners had been allowed to partake in.  Sadly none of these expressions hit Canadian shores.

Recent trips to Islay have allowed me the opportunity to try all of these young beasties however (and perhaps mule a little home for my personal stores), so why not share a few details?

The nose on this hot young cracker is peppery like a young talisker.  Freshly cracked black pepper.  The chocolate and fruit notes are reminiscent (no kidding) of a Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar.  Sharp peat, citrus and smoke are generously splashed all over a clean medicinal backdrop.  Though the nose doesn’t hold a candle to the tang of the palate on this one, I am blown away by just how razor-sharp it is.  Almost brittle.

First sips…kinda like tongue-wrestling a mouthful of porcupines.  Prickly as hell.  Hot and peppery, smoky and peaty.  Some smooth chocolate here as well, but think mole chile.  I adore the firey anesthesia that comes part and parcel with this Ardbeg.  When the heat finally wavers a touch (some time later) what remains is the typical green apple skin peatiness and a tart, drying mouthfeel.

Not my favorite Ardbeg, but still head and shoulders above 95% of its contenders.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Almost There

54.1% abv

Score:  89/100

So here we are rounding third.  Ardbeg’s next-to-last step along the way to reaching a standard ten year old release.  So this, rather logically, would be a nine year old.  (I say ‘rather logically’, however this four part series actually only saw releases at 6, 8, 9 and 10 year marks).

So…the name of this expression begs the question ‘almost there to what?’  Simple answer…a flagship 10 year old comprised of distillate produced entirely in the age post-restart-up.

Coming into the homestretch it must have been a hell of a pleasant run for the guys and gals at Ardbeg when they realized that there was a rather decent shot at restoring the distillery’s stocks to the quality they once were in its earlier incarnation.

The nose on the Almost There is wet rock, salt and smoke.  Lemon peel and vegetal peat notes.  Cereal notes still carry through, with the barest dash of almond paste.  Vaguest hints of some sort of white fruit.  Maybe, jus’ maybe, a bit of some sort of ‘lemon clean’-type polish.  Anise or fennel, and powdered ginger (not the fresh stuff!).

Smoke and sharp tangy citric notes hit the palate first.  A salt licorice flavor too.  And to compliment the salt?  Pepper, of course.  The grains are there with a touch of oak and vanillins at the end, meeting that familiar tartness on the finish.  At this strength you get to see all the beautiful nuances Ardbeg is now being recognized (and lauded) for.

Underdeveloped?  Sure.  Unrestrained?  Absolutely.  Rather exceptional for this age?  Hell yeah!

On to the Renaissance…!

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Still Young

56.2% abv

Overall:  88.5/100

Well now…this is a zippy little lad.  If you’ve read many of these short reviews on ATW, I would imagine you know by now that I have a soft spot for young peaty whiskies, and a less than clandestine appreciation for most things Ardbeg.  So here’s the deal…most Ardbeg is produced in the same manner.  The differences in expressions tend to be from different bottling ages, or possibly different woods.  When the root of the spirit (or ‘new-make’) remains constant, and is exceptional, the derivatives are bound to be of a fairly uniform high quality as well.

Sigh.  Unfortunately I occasionally feel like I have to justify my Ardbeg adoration.  This will be the last time.  Hey…they make bloody good whisky.  Why shouldn’t I say so?

So, where does that leave us in terms of the Ardbeg Still Young?  This is the second bottle (of four) in the ‘Path To Peaty Maturity’ series, so what can logically be expected is an abrasive young whisky which has not had all of its sharp corners knocked off yet by mellowing in wood.  It is a cheeky young barroom brawler, flipping its kilt up, and rolling with the punches.  At 56.2% abv, it is Ardbeg as Ardbeg is meant to be seen.

The nose is enormously Islay.  Buckets of sea water, iodine and smoke.  Extremely medicinal.  It is fruity, with the grains hidden deep…very deep…in the background, and wave after wave of smoke blocking most individual notes anyway.  You truly don’t think that’s a bad thing, do you?

The palate delivers some mouthwatering fruit, primarily green apple and lemon rind.  More salt and…have I mentioned smoke?  The sheer blunt force delivery of heat and alcohol carry the finish on for infinite amounts of time.  In all honesty I’m not sure what could possibly wipe these flavors off the tongue.  Still Young loses a mark or two for overall balance though, as there’s something slightly ‘off’ in the latter stages of development.  Can’t quite put my finger on what note it is I’m having trouble with here.

Strong showing for a young Ardbeg nevertheless.  If you can find it…grab one.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Very Young

58.3% abv

89.5/100

When our saviour, Glenmorangie PLC, came to the aid of malt lovers ’round the world, purchasing the defunct remains (and priceless old stocks) of Ardbeg, little could they have foreseen the coming renaissance that they would be responsible for.  This event, in the year of our lord, nineteen and ninety-seven, marked the birth of a movement.

Daily…globally…legions of Ardbegians swoon and hang on every word uttered about Ardbeg like the second coming of this Islay distillery is no less relevant than the…

Wait…’saviour’…’renaissance’…’second coming’…

Before I finally cross the line into explicit blasphemy (which I do frequently, but not often in the greater blogosphere if I can help myself), let’s settle down and focus on the malt at hand.  Ardbeg Very Young.

After a significant amount of investment on the part of Glenmorangie (pounds, time and labour), the copper stills bubbled, the new spirit flowed and whisky met wood.  Six years later, in 2004, Ardbeg had in hand the first in their ‘Path To Peaty Maturity’ series.  Though old Ardbeg is the stuff of legend, and well nigh worthy of killing your first-born for (sorry…couldn’t help myself), how would this new Ardbeg distillate hold up?  Exceptionally well, it would turn out.

Nose:  Fiery, fiery pepper and dry smoke.  Young chilis and spiced greens.  Lemon and peat, freshly grated citrus zest and newly cut hay.  Grassy with subtle splashes of milk chocolate.  Ripe and sweet…just emerging.

Palate:  Spritely and alive.  A coarse pepper bite meets brine and seaweed (nori).  Smoky bonfire and a sweetness reminiscent of chewing the soft centers out of grains right off the stalk.

This really is a great young Ardbeg.  I’ve seen some rather unforgiving notes on this one, but I don’t buy into that line of thinking.  Score well-deserved and rather indicative of the possibilities open to a distillery with a spirit this clean.  No…this is not over-rating it.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Ten

46% abv

Score: 88.5/100

It doesn’t get more ‘Islay’ than this. Ardbeg Ten is one of the truest expressions of an Islay single malt I have ever encountered. It epitomizes the region and style. Quite possibly the greatest ten year old whisky I’ve tried and most likely the best entry level expression to come from any of the ‘big eight’ on Islay.

It is the fountainhead of Ardbeg’s resurrection, and as such, it stands as a monument to the rebirth of the distillery. Its clean lines, sharp angles, austere clarity and defined character have shown that the distillery has not only pulled off the Lazarus act, but done so with style.

Interesting to note…old stocks saw the light of day when the distillery reopened in 1997 under Glenmorangie, but quickly disappeared in expressions such as the brilliant ‘17’ and ‘Airigh Nam Beist’. At this time the oldest expression in the Ardbeg core range is this, the Ten. And even still…demand outstrips supply. No wonder there is little old stock hitting the market outside of the indies.

Straight outta that sexy emerald bottle, this is a light straw-like color, quite similar to pale diffuse sunshine, and it prickles at the nostrils a little, ‘cause hey…let’s face it…this is a young whisky.

The nose is all about campfires and smoldering peat. Salty coastal notes and briny iodine are everywhere. Next…buckets of freshly squeezed citrus fruit and a mild nutty vanilla leeched from the bourbon oak. The charred wood notes are to die for and marry well with wispy stirrings of anise (which appear a little more boldly on the palate).

Heat, peat and smoke on delivery and arrival. These come right up front, ride along through the development and stay until the party is over. Surprisingly the Ten is somewhat creamy and vanilla-noted. There is fruit there as well…mostly young ripe green fruit and lemon rind. The finish has just a touch of melon behind the oaky vanillins, smoke and drying green apple skin tartness.

This is coat-your-mouth, room-scenting, firewater. Well worth taking the time to savor.

Ardbeg firing on all cylinders is a nearly unstoppable machine, and it speaks volumes about the quality of the pure spirit when the distillery’s entry level expression, at a mere ten years of age, is this bloody good.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Supernova SN2010

60.1% abv

Score:  91/100

I know more than a few of you have been waiting for this review.  Sorry to keep you waiting, buoys and gulls.  This simply is not a whisky that can be reviewed after a single sitting.  Now…many moons later…I have cowered in the shadow of this beast on more than one occasion and feel a little more comfortable sharing my thoughts.

Conversations regarding the Supernova nearly always revolve around either the novel enormity of this phenolic explosion or the ongoing phenol war between this and Bruichladdich’s Octomore.  Either way, it is a sad discredit to the inherent quality of this young and beastly Ardbeg.

A few months back my wife and I celebrated our six year anniversary.  A great evening of getting tattooed, having dinner together and heading out of town for a night away was capped by curling up in front of the Lost with drinks in hand.  Hers…fermented grapes.  Mine…fermented barley.  Though I don’t remember hers…I’m pretty certain she’ll never forget mine.  It literally made the hair on her arms stand up and brought a tear to her eye.  This was, of course, the SN2010.

So what is it that constitutes this dram which wields such tremendous fury?

Nose:

The phenols at this level are absolutely blinding.  This is a young Ardbeg with the volume cranked up to 11.  We peat lovers have become somewhat jaded in recent years with a spate of enormously peated whiskies, but when you consciously step back and consider the contents of the green bottle in hand…well…it is hard not be bowled over.  This is almost an abomination in the whisky world through its sheer enormity.  Its sublime flavors are likely to be lost on the novice.  Heed this…take your time with the SN2010.  It will pay off.

As many of you know by now, I like to visualize these things.  Humor me if you will.  Ocean waves whipped to a frothy fury; savage and unstoppable winds tearing long coastal grass from its roots and blasting the remnants of peat embers hither and yon.  …And no shelter to be seen.

It is sharp and jagged, developing from throbbing waves to a full blown tsunami within minutes of pouring.  The peat and smoke are forefront (what else would you expect?), but fresh cracked pepper and chocolate are clear.  Equal parts dirt and grass…salt and hard lemon…and tar.  Typically Islay.  Not a lot new, but here in brilliant proportion and numbing strength.

Palate:

A mouthful of smoke and pepper.  Oily and tar-like.  Extremely salty anise and brine.  Finally there are hints of wood.  Only hints, mind.  A nifty bitterness creeps in with the oak as well.  This absolutely has to be the final drink of any evening.  You simply won’t be able to taste anything after annihilating your tastebuds with the Supernova.

I hate to blast the critics here, but anyone saying that this is simply hype and not a good whisky…well…best spend a little more time with this, folks.  Y’may not like it…but you are WRONG if you say it is not a good dram.  There are better Ardbegs out there, but that is neither here nor there and makes this one no less relevant.

I can’t be certain (at least until I kick it and have to check in myself), but I believe this peaty bastard is actually used for stoking the fires of hell.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Uigeadail

54.2% abv

Score:  92.5/100

Can you hear the distant rumblings?  Imagine the sky turning the color of bruises and black eyes?

This…this is the fearsome dark storm of Islay.  Its enormity is almost intimidating.  Its might and majesty so beyond the scope we’re used to seeing in such a young and core range bottling.  This is like standing on the shores of Islay while the skies tear open above.  Like being lambasted by gusts of rain and hurricane winds.  And also like feeling grateful simply for having stood so close to the vortex and lived to tell.  This is nature’s fiercest, distilled and decanted.  This is one of the most blindingly original whiskies I have ever tried.

At once sweet, salty and smoky.  A deep sherry influence, while not overburdening, is held in check by dense layers of smoke.  There are notes of chocolate and warm leather carried, no doubt, by the sherried casks.  Tendrils of salted meat and roasting…well…just roasting something.

The smoke, brine and seasoned meat carry to the palate as well, here gaining a sharp little prickle from a thread of anise.  The chariot that delivers this complex amalgamation of all that is Islay (and so much more) is the perfect vehicle at a respectable 54.2% (When will all of the others learn?).

This is a sublimely heavy and brooding dram.  A ‘noir’ whisky, if ever one was made.  Deeper and darker than a Lynch movie, this is a whisky for the most introspective and dark-hearted to mull over in the most forbidding depths of the darkest lounge.

There is simply no doubt about it…this is one of the best whiskies I’ve yet to find.  Spectacular.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist (2008)

46% abv

Score:  93/100

Airigh Nam Beist, the ‘shelter of the beast’. Named for a legend that suggests something primeval and threatening lies in wait in this dark place (Loch Airigh) high above Ardbeg. This is a whisky that, while still 100% Ardbeg, is miles away from any of the other core expressions. Its delicate creamy complexity has made it the subject of adoration for many. This is closer to the ‘17’ (sadly gone now), though with a wee bit more heft in ABV.

Typical of this distillery’s philosophy, we’re given a whisky in its natural and beautiful naked state. Un-chill-filtered and bottled at a respectable 46% (though I ache inside to think what this could have been if left at cask strength). I suppose however, stocks would have been even more limited in such a case. Sigh.

The Airigh Nam Beist is a delicate and complex Ardbeg. Soft and creamy and rich in fruit. Grapefruit…pear…a touch of orange…keylime pie and firm fresh lemon. Smoke and creamy vanilla dance perfectly in step. A sprinkling of salt and maybe the finest dusting of dill. A drop or two of sherry as well. Restrained for an Ardbeg though of course peat and smoke, no matter how subtly woven throughout, are omnipresent.

Creamy, malty delivery. Smoke and toasted marshmallow. Unassuming brine and the barest hint of chocolate.

Three mentions of the word ‘creamy’ in one review…and an Ardbeg at that…what gives? Utterly true and completely at odds with what logic tells me to expect on this one. A perfect analogy I read (can’t remember where, and certainly can’t take credit) was eating ice cream on the beach. Exactly so!

Sadly, one more for the vaults. This is the latest Ardbeg expression to have its jersey hoisted to the rafters in retirement when it was succeeded (though not replaced) by the Corryvreckan. Though I realize stocks only stretch so far, the irrational sentimentalist in me mourns the loss of this one. The cautions were given early on to stock up, and I, like many others, neglected to heed the word. For the last two years I’ve been on the hunt. Fortunately a couple have fallen into my eager palms (but, man…I’ve paid dearly).

A couple of important notes:

First…this is the only Ardbeg expression to boast an age statement of greater than ten years in the recent range.

And second…distilled in 1990, and bottled from 2006 through 2008, you may run into 16, 17 or 18 year old vintages.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt