Ardbeg 10 Year

Review #53 - Whisk(e)y #37 My first peated / smoky whisky! About time indeed! Chill-filtered - No Artificial Colour - No ABV - 46% Aspect - very light, pale straw, long legs, viscuous. Nose - Wow. Is this even whisky? Petrol, burnt tire, burnt rubber, tarmac, heavy, smoke (which shines more with oxidation), medicinal. Underlying citrus, and vanilla, no alcohol, some sour note in the back as well, and perhaps very subtle menthol. Palate - same as on the nose, extremely intense. Strong oak spice on front end. Menthol, light sea salt, oily, vanilla, sweetness and savoury note, meaty, grilled fat, on the mid palate, and then the burnt tire returns on the back end. Heavy, strange for one coming from 36 unpeated whiskies. Finish - medium-long, smoke, charred wood, burnt rubber. Smoky and bitter dark chocolate, very long aftertaste. I was expecting something entirely different, more savoury, more smoke, and less of this rubber, which unfortunately is very prominent. Interesting, not necessarily my cup of tea as of now. I understand it, I appreciate it, but I don.t like it at all...i find it utterly sickening, it upsets my stomach, I just can't drink it. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

NEAT NOSE - Campfire Ash is the predominant note supported by faint notes of vanilla, pear, and citrus peel. PALATE - The palate is dominated by a sweet, ashy, earthy peat smoke along with a brininess. The peat then starts to fade and gives way to soft notes of vanilla, suggestive of the ex-bourbon casks. Make no mistake, the peat is present throughout the palate and towards the back of the palate, you get the pear and a nice honeycrisp apple note. The mouthfeel is nice and oily. FINISH - Long and lingering sweet, savory peat smoke along with oak. BUY? - Yes, but like me, it may take some time to like and appreciate this one for sure. BUY AGAIN? - When I first tried this, all I got was iodine, bandaids, and unrelenting smoke that gave way to nothing else. I felt like I was opening a BBQ pit and inhaling smoke directly. Over two years, I have tried to learn to appreciate this with maybe six 0.5 ounce pours to no avail. Last week something changed. I’m not sure if it was the time in the bottle or experimenting with more single malts, but I was able to get past the smoke and now appreciate this whisky for its unique and surprisingly savory flavor profile. I can’t believe it but I’m now excited to try more peated whiskies. At the price point, I’ll likely replace this when empty unless I prefer some of Ardbeg’s other expressions.

Juillet 2024 - Vincent Piano bar - Berlin Robe claire Nez embaumant la tourbe de qualité Première bouche crystalline et rafraîchissante avant que toute la puissance écossaise ne se révèle en deuxième bouche dans la tourbe de cette terre béni par les dieux du whisky. Une troisième bouche pimentée monte à l'assaut du palais et emporte les saveurs de tourbes légèrement fumées vers d'autres stratosphères. La tourbe et le piment laissent une empreinte de puissance écossaise dans la bouche et la poitrine... comme une cornemuse qui résonne au fond d'une vallée pour rappeler la valeur des cœurs écossais et la puissance de leurs whisky. Un whisky d'homme, qui ravive les papilles et les cœurs. Du coffre et du corps... j'apprécie fortement ... Dégusté au Vincent Piano Bar, en écoutant un pianiste égrener quelques notes de jazz qui s'envolent dans le ciel Berlinois

Ardbeg 10 year was one of my first single malts that I tried when I first started down the scotch path. Prior to that I only had a couple blends and mainly drank bourbon or rum. This one opened my eyes to what I was missing. The nose features iodine, peat and moss. On the palate I get hay, smoke, malt with just a little bit of heat. The finish is very long on this one, as you will taste the peat in the back of your throat for hours after. I think as my palate has grown over the years; I don't find this one as good as some other entry level single malts (Springbank & Talisker come to mind). I still think it's very good. I'm just not sure if my nostalgia for it clouds my judgement. Either way, I would recommend it.

Once regarded as 'the guardian of Islay', Ardbeg Ten has long since lost this title to Port Charlotte. On the nose, briny peat smoke, lemon zest and aniseed are accompanied by green olives, rock pools and pickled cucumbers. The honey-sweet arrival is a bit tamer than I remembered it, but it quickly gathers steam with citrus fruits, peppermint and loads of ash and tar. Salty licorice, melon and oysters move forward, and I'm getting lime juice, iodine and grilled pineapple in the long and peaty finish. Not quite what it used to be, but it's hanging in there. RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]

Total Score : 4.12 [Eng] [Nose] - Thick smokiness. - Smooth medicinal peaty scent. - Very little alcohol smell. - Shallow molasses and cacao. - Fragrant floral and woody scent of bourbon. - Mild caramel scent of an empty glass. [Palete] - Salty - Mild spiciness. - Woody savory. - Smoky [Finish] - Sweetness - Smoky lingering feeling [Kor] [Nose] - 짙은 스모키함. - 부드러온 정로환, 피트향 - 약한 알콜향 - 옅은 당밀과 카카오 - 버번의 향긋하고 살짝 플로랄한 우디함. - 빈잔의 약한 캐러멜향 [Palete] - 짠맛 - 부드러운 스파이시 - 우디한 고소함 - 스모키함 [Finish] - 달콤함이 남음. - 스모키한 여운