I get what Ardbeg tried here. I don't approve it. (And they don't care about my approval either, lol) Ardbeg Blasda is the expression with less amount peat from this famous islay distillery, and they did it that way to try something new, different and appealing... it didn't work. Bottled at 40%abv (yes, it is a 40%abv Ardbeg, you did not read that wrong), white wine color. On the nose, it is very aromatic but lacks a little soul. Champagne cola, Pineapple; Super aromatic: Floral, perfumed. Grapefruit, Citric gooseberries and lemon air freshener. After a first sip it gave me sugar syrup. The Aroma has dropped dramatically. Smells like a lightly peated highland malt. On the palate it is very watery, it has a sugary pineapple juice note and slight pepper. Very dim. A second sip gave me sugar syrup and honey. Aftertaste was very dim. Sugar syrup, a hint of salt and smoke. As Led Zeppelin once said, "it makes me wonder" if this is really Ardbeg. It feels like an overly watered down Arran. I believe that distilleries are entitled to experiment, and i appreciate the intention, but i am sure they had to taste this one before bottling it. (Actually the bottle is beautiful); it is maybe a collector's item, but definitively the worst scoring Ardbeg ever. For me, this has a fair 74 over 100.
About this bottle
Ardbeg is known for their bold peaty flavors, but with the Blasda they tried their hand at a less peaty expression. Here they have dropped the peat level to an average 8 parts per million phenol (ppm), which is quite a reduction from their usual 24 ppm. The Distiller Tasting Table hasn’t reviewed this yet, but you can! Save your rating and tasting notes, and see what other Distiller users think by clicking on the Notes tab! Official Distiller Review Pending.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 10 parsed reviews.
Nose - Faint slight peat, strawberries, vegetal notes, sweetness, malt barley, light florals, anise. Palate - Peat/smokiness is there, but still very faint, black pepper, dark chocolate, thin mouth coat (probably due to ABV), decent legs though...Sherry not as detectable. Spice level is nice. Finish - Red licorice and buttered popcorn, with slight mint. After water - lessened notes potency, no enhancements.... Worth initial 45-50 buck prices for something different that the typical Ardbeg 10, but NOT secondary market prices at all. I was lucky not to overspend on this one.
The light lemony peat and powdered sugar on the nose are promising, but the barely legal ABV fails to deliver much in the way of flavor. The mouthfeel is thin and the notes of spice, black tea and wet rocks thoroughly meh. There’s a hint of grapefruit if you’re being generous. The finish is very dry with a suggestion of tangerine. The final note I scribbled for this on the night is simply ‘why?’ An experiment as ill conceived as New Coke.
An elegant, lightly peated, Islay Whisky at 8ppm as opposed to the standard 24ppm. It has an aromatic birth with notes of Chocolate éclair, dry coastal driftwood, toffee, sherry, refreshers sweets & a hint of gentle smoke; while life is creamy & spiced adding notes of lemon, herbs, oak, vanilla & peppermint creams; that lead to a soft, oily death with notes of berries, rose & peppermint creams, December 2017 / May 2018 / August 2022
drammers club pour. Light but interesting. Has notes of Vanilla, Banana, Peach, Coconut, Caramel, Flowers, Caramel Custard, Pear, Hint of Smoke, Pepper, Honey, Wax, and Grass. Shows the fruity side of Ardbeg very well.
I think ardbeg should stick to their peat Buster's. The balance is completely off and not what you'd expect from an ardbeg
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Tastes like this
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