A phenomenal whisky packing powerful peaty deliciousness, Ardbeg 10 Year Old is a favourite of many whisky lovers around the world. Produced on the Kildalton Coast of Islay, this single malt matures for a decade before being bottled without any chill-filtration. If you're after a whisky full of coastal air, smoke and more, this is exactly what you want.
A ridge of vanilla leads to mountain of peat capped with citrus fruits and circled by clouds of sea spray.
Sweet vanilla counterbalanced with lemon and lime followed by that surging Ardbeg smoke that we all know and love.
Long and glorious; sea salted caramel and beach bonfire smoke.
Precise balance, big smoke and non-chill filtered. This is why this is such a famous dram.
This one is a gem. Yes it is an angry young 10 year old. Given time on the shelf wont realy matter much. It will remain pretty much as the day you opened it. It is smokey, warm and happy. Autumn fires and cold nights burn inside this one. Descriptions of band-aids and plastic just shows how immature the reviewers are. You kids really need to refine you pallet over how much it takes to get drunk. Single Malt drinkers don't drink to get bombed. We drink to savoir the complexities of the drink. Isly peat scotch are for men only. Not children.
its half the price, but I find that it's damn near as good. nice and smoky. a good starter for Islay if you don't want to go too cheap, but want a true representation of the region's flavor.
I've liked several of the Kilchoman bottlings but they typically run >$60 in NC & SC. The Machir Bay 2013/14 was very enjoyable but $65 for essentially a (well-crafted) 5 year old or thereabouts. I wasn't enamored of the Ardbeg the first couple pours, so utilized a trick I've had work with others. Pouring off 1/2 into another bottle and giving it a couple months to oxygenate and 'blossom', I'm very pleased with it as a daily-type dram. When the spirit begins to suit your taste, pour them back together. It has greater depth than the Kilchomans while delivering many of the things I liked about them. An excellent value @ $50ish, and a modern day classic. If there's a better Islay for the price, I've not tasted it.
I find Ardbeg to be like a sensory overload. It's good scotch but the peat and medicinal notes are a little much for me to pour a second glass. You must certainly add some water at 46% or you will get a little too much alcohol burn to appreciate some of the sweeter and creamy flavors in the finish. I'm thrilled that it's natural color (it's a shame they have to put it in a green bottle or people would be scared away by the pale color) and non chill filtered, but it's just not something I would put on my top shelf other than for it's name. I can completely see why people go crazy for it though. It definitely stands out in the crowd!
Undoutably an Isla from the moment you uncap the bottle wiht its strong peaty aroma & iodine aftertaste. Very nice whiskey. Very peaty. Some citrus flavours there, and a lot of phenol iodine taste also. Recommended to try and even have a bottle on the shelf when you want something different, but still does not beat Lagavulin 16, which is just smoother & more balanced than this. That doesnt make it a bad whiskey, its just not the best while Lagavulin 16 is around.
