Ardbeg Grooves Whisky

Had a wee dram tonight. Must say I was surprised to find this in NC USA (I’m an Aussie travelling on business). I have visited and tried many Ardbegs and it has the usual peaty characters but does not pack a punch like others from Ardbeg and Islay so slightly smoother on the palate. Happy daze (In keeping with the label etc :)).

I discovered this beauty at a whisky festival last year, and it was love at first taste. Hard to find in Canada, but worth it when it pops up unexpectedly... buy 2 bottles, pay electric bill later. I have loved a lot of Islay concoctions over the years, but this one tops them all...like a warm campfire at sunset on the beach, but in a glass. Top shelf stuff!

Warm smooth finish with a fruity smoky taste

It's a good one. Nose immediately reminded me a bit of a slightly funkier Talisker 10. A bit Less briny. Good smoke and tropical fruit denseness. Palette is thick, tarry earth, smokey meat/pork, syrupy sweetness, iodine, ash, charred oak and slight over ripe pineapple. Yum.

Heavily charred wine cask, limousin or Troncai. The Independent Wave Stave Company produced waves or grooves in their Wave Stave production. Benefits are heavy charring one side of the groove and fresh wood exposure the other. The contrast is spectacular as it is here. Long Oxidation of the spirit in the glass brings out the best, at least three quarters of an hour. Visit the glass throughout and you will see what I mean in terms of aroma and taste. It's an oily waxy texture, but high level char would produce this. The carmelisation of the lignin compounds would greatly reduce vanillan oils and acids and lactones explaining why I didn't really find these much, caramel cherries, candy and chocolate were much more prominent. The syringol and guaiacol and Eugenol produced by the high level char are very evident in the aromas and taste. Longer oxidation makes these more prominent, while early after the pour the resinous nature of the exposed fresh wood is there. Tanins are very high in Limousin a Oak, around 10% and only slightly lower in Troncai oak, so this explains the dark colour and astringent, tartaric acidic nature of the spirit, also the lower ABV of the previous occupant which is less solvent will remove fewer of the compounds in the wood, leaving the cask richer in these. Very clever maturation.

A fire and smoke taste with a oily calm smoothness on the way down. Easy B+/A- product for most, an A for me.

I've tried both dark cove (2016) and Kelpie (2017) and I really enjoyed Kelpie but this is even better and have more smokiness. You should add half a teaspoon of water though in 4-5cl whisky.

Absolutely the best Whisky from Ardbeg distillery since years. He is well matured and has a perfect creamy symbiosis with the alcohol. Sweetness and gentile spices are over flooding You tongue. Absolutely perfect for this price!

Managed to grab two bottles of the committee release of this directly from Ardbeg in March. It’s pretty good especially when left to open up for a month or two. I agree with the first review, not sure it’s worth the extra on the Uigea and Corryvreckan. I’ll probably keep the second bottle as it’s value outstrips it’s quality sadly now. But that’s the Ardbeg roundabout.

I found this similar to Kelpie but even sweeter with more smokiness. Lots of complex flavors including pepper, brine and fatty ham.
$165 Canadian which isn't cheap but I will buy a couple more.
For reference, my favorite Scotches are Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015, Laphroaig Lore, Ardbeg Kelpie, Balvenie 12 and Octomore 10.