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.
I am a fan of peat and smoke. I have tried Highland Park 12 (light smoke) and Ardbeg Uigeadail (Heavy peat and smoke, but sweet). Most go the other way around and start here, but not me. Immediately the smell of adhesive bandages with a hint of lime and dark chocolate and, of course, smoke. This eventually gives way to sweetness and vanilla. This is much more complex than Uigeadail and yet straightforward. The taste is what you expect from the scent. Lime and dark chocolate and smoke, and salty goodness. I wish I was on a nice beach with sea spray. Finish is very long and the smell and taste of smoke with hints of espresso beans. A solid 8 out of 10.
Recently got into single malts... Laphroig is my goto but this might take the cake. Lots of good stuff going on for such an affordable dram. Pace yourself!
I was recommended Bowmore 12 year to start my introduction to single malt, I fell in love with the slight peat offered in that dram. Again referred to this 10 year, and the complexity of the flavors, the rich peat, I fell in love again! I've found a favorite and will be enjoying it being added to my collection consistently.
This was my first venture into Islay/peaty whisky. When I first pulled the cork it was a little concerning. The initial smell was very medicinal and I worried I wouldn't like it at all. However once your nose gets acclimated to it a vanilla sweetness and a little citrus appears behind the huge peat smoke. My first taste was similar to my first sniff; very intense and I wasn't able to really taste anything other than salt and smoke. The second sip was much more pleasant. Citrus sweetness with a little salted caramel, smoke, and what I perceived as a "meat" like flavor. The finish is initially intense and slowly fades with flavors of bacon, salt, and sweetness. A very interesting dram. My second dram contained none of the initially off-putting aromas or flavors of the first, perhaps because I knew what to expect. Until Ardbeg, I had only really liked the sweeter side of scotch and bourbon. This is definitely a "savory" whisky, and has quickly become one of my favorites.
What the Glendronach 15 is to sherry, this is to peat. A huge, initially medicinal nose gives way to butter-scotch and vanilla as you examine it more closely. The palate starts with a brutal punch of peaty smoke, but work your way through it and there is a wonderful malty, caramel sweetness underlying the big peat. As the flavors mesh into the finish, you get bitter dark chocolate. It's a big, powerful whisky that requires some commitment; the first dram is positively unsettling, but work it a bit more and you'll find something really special and interesting in Ardbeg.
