A vintage Ardbeg is as rare as finding an 18yo old one. The task gets even more difficult when we are talking about a specific limited expression bottled 15 years ago. This is the Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist, a very limited expression, is called "The Beist", and the actual translation for that fancy gaelic name is "The Shelter of The Beast". Bottled at 46%abv, this is a 1990 vintage, Bottled in 2008. On the nose it is incredible. Tropical aroma, a pair of socks, pineapple, cigarrette ashtray, milk chocolate. After a first sip it became even more tropical with grated coconut notes. On the palate it is perfect. White chocolate with red chilli. It is a punch in the face of those two notes. Salty and sweet, pineapple. Spectacular. Aftertaste is deliciously smoky. Aromatic peat, burnt hay. Fantastic. Sugary and smokey. Overall, this is one of the most elegant, tropical, easy drinkable, yet peaty dram. This is the definition of a "rounded whisky". I believe this super expensive single malt (goes for around $700 nowadays), will be a dram that i will remember for a long time. The Beast is actually tamed to be enjoyed fully. My score for it is 97 over 100.
About this bottle
Ardbeg from the early nineties, like the Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist, is rare. The distillery was closed for almost the entire eighties. When it re-opened in 1989 it was only in production for two months a year, until it closed again in 1997. Airigh Nam Beist is Scotch Gaelic for "Shelter of the Beast." Sadly this expression has been discontinued. Pro tip: the name is pronounced, "'Arry Nam Baysht."
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 11 parsed reviews.
Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 16 Year Old 1990 An intense, Single Malt Scotch Whisky from Islay matured in ex-bourbon casks. The rather ominous 'Airigh Nam Beist' derives from the Scotch Gaelic for 'Shelter of the Beast'. Ardbeg describe this as "Ardbeg Ice Cream". It has a large & pungent birth with notes of dark peat, creosote, burning tire, extinguished with sea spray; while a full & sweet life adds notes of cereal, dry wood, green leaves, milk chocolate, dark almonds, vanilla, caramel, walnuts, thick cream & heavy smoke; that leads to a powerful & oily death with notes of cream, smoke, hints of phenols, brine & lemon. December 2018 / January / March 2019 / August 2022
Overall: A creamy dram, sweet, smoky, with citrusy qualities, superb whisky, a top pick of mine, one of the best bottles of scotch I have ever owned. If Corryvreckan is a rockstar, this is like a hug from grandpa (24). Color: Medium gold Nose: Lime skins and cream, vanilla, peat, malt, detergent, something herbal, salted marshmallows, a drop of water brings out the fruity qualities (24) Body: Medium to full, oily Taste: Tangy peat, soft heat, limes, little peek of vanilla in there, fluffy puffs of smoke and soot, complex (24) Finish: Medium to long, soft vanilla, smoke resurging (23) Score: 95
If you want to taste Ardbeg's notes of smoke, salt and sweetness in isolation, this whisky will walk you through them one by one. It's a fascinating reference for the Ardbeg vocabulary, but ultimately the sweetness dominates, underscoring how well integrated the current Ardbeg range is. Still, well worth the $14 I paid for 2cl at Chami Bar in Davos.
nose is a but salty with candy sweetness, smooth peat and smoke, citrus palate is sweet peat with stronger alcohol sensation, some vanilla, oily finish is long and the sweetness and smoke retains overall a really nice Ardbeg that both has the characteristics of the distillery but has a unique sweet and oily profile
Tasted at WhiskyFest San Francisco 2017, at Ardbeg seminar The best whisky of the night at WhiskyFest Well-balanced, complex Too bad it is not readily available
5 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
