Ardbeg Drum (2019 Committee Release)

Was drum the point where Ardbeg jumped the shark? Was the CR even better than the standard? Lets find out. Double review will be posted to both. Drum CR vs Standard. Nose - On the CR Bannans, oak, light smoke, candied cigars (I get this almost always on peated whisky but especially ardbeg). I'm getting a bit of really young but used barrel oak notes. OK I'm getting similar notes here, but I'm getting more cigarettes. I'm getting more of a fire cooked fruit. Yeah the CR is more vanilla/bannana and the non CR has way more going on. Taste - CR - I do get the pineapple, the bannans, oak, vanilla, powdered sugar, light smoke, a bit of brine but not much. It's complex, it transitions, it does come off a bit young, but a lot of people want that on peat and actually it's really lacking the ardbeg peat punch. The non CR is more subtle, clearly watered down, but I get more from it. Most importantly I'm getting just a lot more peat more Ardbeg. Yeah there's more brine, more smoke and all those things I want in an islay and they really make themselves noticed on the finish. Well put some water in the CR! Nose on the CR does change a bit, but it's still not as complex as the non CR. It's more burnt vanilla forward. Taste - water here makes the CR drink younger with more harshness and more of that banana and youthful oak. It does extend the finish and gives me more of an ardbeg profile of smoke. The non CR has more of what I think of as Iodine (but to be honest I've only known that flavor through whisky discussions so grain of salt on that please). Overall - they're the same score for me, but the non CR has a better nose and taste. The mouth feel however on the CS CR makes up for both short comings. Are these good whiskies? They're ok. 2.0 and frankly they'll be a weird one to discuss. MSRP at some stores near me were the same for each. A few even sold the CR for less when it came out than the non CR. Legit know a store that did 120 for CR and 130 for non CR. So this is the review for the CR. If you're like me and mouthfeel is HUGE, I think I might at the end of the day pick this one up, and full disclosure when I first had these two, I was 100% sure I'd say the non CR was better. I still think from an intrinsic whisky review standard it is better and I'm confused as to why. Does Ardbeg have better water than I do?

Ardbeg Drum is my 4th bottle of the annual Feis Isle releases, and the first I managed to score as a full-proof “Committee Release.” Your standard Ardbeg aged a little extra in rum casks. It’s a simple formula, but one that I’m looking forward to nonetheless based Ardbeg’s previous performances. Nose: Heavy peat, campfire smoke, brine, sea salt, seaweed, and iodine. Tennis ball and bandaid. Vanilla custard, toffee, and caramel. Sugar cookie/Graham cracker. Banana with some grapefruit and lemon citrus. Agave. Shrimp cocktail and oyster. Grilled pineapple. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak spice. Smells like dinner on the waterfront. Palate: Vanilla custard, caramel, toffee, and sugar cookie. Banana, grapefruit, lemon, and bell pepper. More grilled pineapple. Campfire smoke, ash, and peat. Sea salt, seaweed, and brine. Tennis ball, iodine, and bandaid, and a little rubber. Agave and celery. Red pepper, black bean chili. Cinnamon, black pepper, and oak. Finish: Lemon and grapefruit citrus. Campfire smoke, ash, sea salt, brine, seaweed and peat. Chestnut and hazelnut. Dark and milk chocolate. Cocoa and pipe smoke. Black bean, red pepper chili. Cinnamon, black and white pepper, and oak. Long as they make finishes. This is peat, sweet, and heat blended into one magnificent bottle. I love the the way the rum casks add those tropical notes to the cold, austere coastal Ardbeg profile. It’s quite a marriage, and the fact that the rum casks aren’t washed out by the peat and ethanol are testament to the distillers. This beats the Perpetuum, Kelpie, and Grooves for my favorite Ardbeg annual release. This had the advantage of being the only Committee Release, so it may be unfair to compare them in this manner. But this is the winner. One of the best whiskies I’ve ever had in fact. Now, I paid $300 for this. I found it years after it was released, and the store knew what they were doing. Had Ardbeg priced it this way at the time of its release, I’d have a bone to pick. But I’m a completionist, and I allowed this particular store to take advantage of me, knowing full well that it was happening. With that in mind, I’m going to ease up on the VFM consideration and view this through the lens of someone who bought this when it was more time appropriate. 5/5. It’s the best of the Ardbeg annual releases. Sensational.

Here’s a fun nose: bananas, caramelized sugar, vanilla and a hint of extinguished flames - in short, Bananas Foster. Take a sip or scoop up a helping with your pudding spoon and you’ll be rewarded with a rich and creamy mouthfeel and a hint of bananas, before it turns more typically Ardbegian with a dusting of dark chocolate. The finish is long and sweet, like a slice of pineapple in melting vanilla ice cream. A splash of water brings out some peaty spice - let’s call it nutmeg to continue the dessert theme. This is another delicious twist on Ardbeg, but unlike previous releases I can’t imagine myself finishing a bottle any more than I can imagine eating all the Bananas Foster in New Orleans. Actually, I can imagine the latter, but it doesn’t end well. It would make a great substitute for a dessert wine and a sweet gift for a dinner party, but overall I’d say this is a must try rather than a must buy.

Wonderful stuff. Nose is heavy on banana, sugar, graham cracker. Smells like a banana cream pie or bananas foster. I don’t get much peat here. Palate has peat and smoke, though it’s balanced nicely with the sweetness. Not very fruity. Earth, old leather, and oak. Finish starts sweet with more banana and rum, though it quickly fades. Not much burn. Heard described as a dusting of dark chocolate and I highly agree. Very much recommend.

@Richard-ModernDrinking and I had a tasting last night where we shared a few drams with each other. This was my 2nd best of the night, out of 12. The only one in the tasting that was better was a 10 yr old Macallan from the 80s. This was amazing—-smoky, resinous, pine and sweetness. Just absolutely memorable. If it’s still available and reasonably priced, you wont go wrong getting it. Thanks Richard for sharing this!

I really enjoyed this. It is definitely not an everyday sipper, rather something to be savored when the mood is right. I don’t think that the rum cask influence is too strong, but you can definitely taste it. To me this pairs nicely with the Ardbeg smoke and gives a new twist on the ‘sweet peat’ that I enjoy so much.