Ardbeg Corryvreckan Whisky 70cl

I love to be proved wrong,I initially tried this after recovering from covid my taste buds mangled.I did not appreciate the complexity and said it was like a Willy Wonka chocolate bar,it is! So wonderful,medicinal,chicken flavor crisps,toffee wrapped bandages,mind bending and memory drenched,it is beautiful !

The Oogie sherry bomb is not for everyone's palate, but Corryvreken here is certainly a contender for the best core range Islay, arguably even on par with some of the Octmore's - it's that delectable.

Son suggested this amongst 3 options for his birthday present, and he was delighted that we chose this one. It was also delivered to me ahead of predicted time, so a win all round!

Ridiculously good

Picked up another bottle of this at duty free last week having finished the previous bottle over the course of about 18 months. The start of the first bottle was quite sharp, but by the end of it was absolutely sublime, sweet and smokey and very complex with all sorts of flavours coming through, nutmeg, burnt caramel, some blackberry and redcurrant. The best bottle of whisky I've ever had.

The start of this new one is all tyre smoke and overly sweet. I've seen lots of reviews saying ardbeg are inconsistent but I've not experienced it until now. I added a drop of water to the first dram and it made it undrinkable. Left neat in the glass for 30 minutes and it drank like it was closer to 50 than 60abv. In short, I've no idea what's going on but if you like confusion then get yourself some.

Overpriced and,in my opinion,over rated. This is like a Willie Wonka chocolate bar.All flavors overwhelm,the dark fruit finish is,for me,unpleasant.For alot less you could enjoy Port Askaig 100%,Mactalla Mara,or for the price two bottles of Wee Beastie for the price of this.

This doesn't compare to the Uigeadail at all. It's got a severe alcohol bite, and don't know what this reviewer was drinking...but no peat at all. Unpleasant. The Uigeadail is currently my favorite single Malt; and this one is far inferior to it. Too bad.

I have bought the Ten, An Oa and Uigeadail. I have also tried several Bruichladdich whiskies and the usual other Islays. After decades of drinking sherried malts, I realised that, with the current disgusting state of the Scots Whisky Industry, many of the tastiest malts are coming from Islay these days. I mourn for the drams lost to psychopathic CEOs.
When approaching a cask strength whisky I always try it at full strength and then diluted to about 43%, just to get a baseline. At normal alcohol levels, this is sweet, soft and pleasant. It’s not a million miles away from Scottish Barley to be honest. Not too much peat. More of a seasoning. And it’s really quite nice. A bit chewy, with quite a long finish.
At 57%, this is obviously entirely different. It has to be given respect. And here the flavours are strong, much more complex, and satisfying. Other reviewers have mentioned a sense of “thin-ness”. I find that it keeps its softness despite the strength. There’s a suppleness to it thst I really like. Is it better than An Oa or Uigeadail? No. Definitely not. But it does have its own identity. I think one would have to have an expensive tasting evening to figure out which expression is preferred. Personally I haven’t beaten An Oa: Caol Ila 15 unpeated cask strength at 50:50.

I am an Ardbeg member but not tried this before.
A superb dangerously moreish dram.
Suggested in a review compared to Super Nova 2015. I had to try it. I was fortunate enough to buy a SN 2015 on release ( for a lot less than it is now!) to be opened on y 60'th next year.
The Corryvreckan is everything promised except the nicotine level temptation for another.
A strong will is required to resist....I am weak!

Ardbeg, more known in recent years for special NAS releases just for the novelty of them (&$) still produces a big winner here in the Corryvreckan as part of its core line-up along with the Ten & "Oogy" (Uigeadail).
Corryvreckan boasts sweet fruity & smoky notes with pleasing salty/earthy components for an enjoyably well-balanced offering that honors the tradition of Islay whisky.