Ardbeg Kelpie (2017 Committee Release)

Many thanks to Telex for a sample of this one-of-a-kind scotch! Imagine buying a meal at a German restaurant and then stirring some of the key ingredients -- pretzels, bratwurst -- into a glass of Ardbeg 10. It'd get a little saltier, a little funkier, a little oilier, a little meatier, and a bit darker in color. That's the best way to sum up my Kelpie experience. It is a strange, sometimes fascinating, sometimes just plain odd combination of flavors. Just as the kelpie is a shapeshifter, taking the form of a horse in the water but a strapping lad on land, this whisky's nose is complex and ever-changing. The peat here is of the woody variety, but it smells like wood that's been baking in the sun or that's just begun to heat up but before it catches fire. It's a dry, resinous scent. The nose also has some of the pungency of oil at times, yet at other times seems floral. Occasionally, it hits a classic combination of peat and brine that reminds me of Laphroaig's 2015 Cairdeas expression. All of a sudden, after getting used to all of these scents, something different emerges. There is a sweet and sour note that I can't identify, very different than the fresh citrus that I detect in Ardbeg 10. To borrow a fun word I learned from Distiller users, Kelpie also exhibits a hint of petrichor (the smell that comes with rain, like wet gravel or earth). And I'm not done yet! There is an occasional whiff of charred meat, like the smoke ring of a brisket. Last but not least, on every third or fourth whiff I get a smell that's a dead ringer for a big bucket of pretzels. I mean one of those mega-tubs of thin, dry, salty pretzel sticks that college RAs sometimes have in their dorms as a snack for their kids. The palate entry is akin to a richer, more buttery, oilier version of Ardbeg 10, with a tart but darker sweetness than in its lighter cousin. Oily, which is characteristic of Ardbeg at higher ABVs. There is plenty of peat in the palate as well, but it's a mellow peat, and the wood backbone is of the pine variety. There's also a slight pungency in the whisky that I can't place. Like the nose, the palate is complex and shifts after a second or two in the mouth. It grows very salty and briney, and perhaps is the saltiest scotch I've had to date. There is that dry, slightly chalky, salty taste that recalls the pretzels I detected on the nose, combined with a lavender-infused honey which is the most pleasant aspect of the taste. The combination of salt, some spice, and savory richness toward the end is almost like a sausage. Kelpie has a warm and salty conclusion, featuring licorice and anise sweetness and a long-lasting medicinal quality that wasn't as noticeable at the start. The peppery quality of this type of oak also stands out to me here, but the salt remains the dominant aspect of this stage. Too salty to fit squarely in my wheelhouse, but this has to be one of the more complex scotches I've ever had. Cheers!

This is the final extra sample for our third round of scotch samples and I offered this one up because the regular Kelpie was offered by another member of our group. I thought it would make for an interesting side by side comparison- and it did. I reviewed the regular Kelpie a couple weeks back and found it to be an outstanding whisky. This Committee Edition is also spectacular, I just don’t think it warranted a “special-er” special release. The CE comes in closer to cask strength at 51.7% (versus the regular at 46%), is also light, glittery gold in color and forms thicker, quicker legs in the Glencairn. The overall profiles are very similar, as you’d expect, but I don’t think the extra ABV turns it into a better whisky. The nose is heavily smoked with hints of tropical fruits and a masked saltiness. The oak barrel seems a bit more lively, but I think that’s also a result of the higher alcohol level. The ABV burn usually translates to more barrel notes for me. Sometimes it’s a good thing, when it’s needed to mute sweeter drams, but it’s a hindrance in peated malts IMO. I want more smoke, especially on the nose. The palate hits hard. There’s a smoking asphalt flavor that caught me by surprise before releasing into the typical bonfire, charred oak. The citrus and tropical fruit calm it before it transforms mid sip into a delicious, bitter chocolate. It smoothes the rough edges and calms the heat quite well. The finish is long and slowly drying on the tongue. A restrained exhale forces you to deal with the peppery oak and residual smoke. I almost fooled myself into thinking I actually saw smoke exiting my mouth. It’s so present for the entire sample you could easily be fooled into thinking you’re smoking, lol. Overall, I think I preferred the regular Kelpie for reasons I probably can’t even justify haha. Ok, price point is why. The CE was $200 vs the $109 regular. Good enough for me. Both are excellent examples from Ardbeg, worthy of 5 stars, too. Great whiskies. Try one or both because you can’t go wrong either way. Cheers.

This review is for the special committee release of Kelpie from Ardbeg. I believe the only difference is the ABV. This one is bottled at 51.7% vs the standard version that is 46%. Non chill filtered and natural color. Being that it's a higher strength, the color is slightly darker color. This one appears as a champagne gold. I had a much different experience with this one vs the standard version. Let's break things down a little. The nose opens with peaty grilled lemons and apricots. Vanilla cream with what I can only guess is spearmint. Oak and pickled ginger. Black pepper, salty sea air and, as Dreaming of Islay so aptly described, warm salty pretzels. Even though there was no wine maturation at work here, I got subtle white wine notes. Cinnamon dusted nuts and a little toffee/butterscotch. This has a strong resemblance to Machir Bay from Kilchoman, but with more peat. I have to say it took much more concentration and digging to pull out these nosing notes than it did with the standard version. The palate is smoky citrus, lemon custard and peppery oak. Not quite as smoky as the standard version, but there is no doubt that it's there. The standard version was like sitting in the middle of the smoking section at a restaurant (when that was still a thing), where this one is like sitting at the table next to the smoking section (credit to my wife for the analogy). BBQ brisket, brine, tar, ashes and a little iodine. There is also some sourdough bread that was unexpected, and I would say neither a good nor a bad thing. Full bodied mouthfeel that is oily but turns a little dry. The finish is long with peat smoke, citrus, pepper. A little dry but not bad. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just not in the right mindset to fully enjoy this one tonight, but I just didn't find it as good/complex as the 46% version. At $200 per bottle vs $110 for the standard release, its that much harder to get behind. Still it's a good dram. For me, it comes off like an Ardbeg/Kilchoman hybrid. Thanks to Lee for the generous sample. 4.25 Cheers

I held off opening this for 24 hours for fear that it would disappoint. The committee releases are consistently interesting, and yet my cynicism about the industry's ever more extravagant barrel tricks and elaborate marketing has me bracing for that moment when Ardbeg jumps the basking shark. Dr Lumsden, please forgive my lack of faith. From the moment the mustard color spirit hits the glass, it's clear we're in new waters far from last year's Dark Cove. Shimmering aromas of herbal lozenges and zesty wood hint at the surprises to come, even as undertones of dark chocolate wave the Ardbegian flag. By surprises I mean, wow. An unexpected explosion of flavor from the first sip: bright citrus notes, creamy and peppery. A dazzling burst of light when I was anticipating darker sherry shades. A couple of drops of water accentuates the chocolate flavors. It finishes in a complex wave of tart and tangy chords, with those herbal flavors again, then a coda of tanins and a not unpleasant sourness. It's a dazzling turn by Ardbeg, like a Radiohead album that eschews precedent and expectations for new experiments. And yet it all makes sense when one's curiosity about this mysterious republic called Adyghe yields a Wikipedia article listing its main produce as grain, sunflowers, tea and tobacco. Coincidence or not, there's terroir in this glass.

Time for a nightcap after a busy day; hustling getting the house ready for Christmas Eve dinner and now grabbing something to ease the remaining hours of this day. Ardbeg CE will assist, which was provided by the one and only @LeeEvolved in the tasting group. Ardbeg! I almost do not have to say much more, but I will. Sweet peat, maritime brine are an instant greeting. The peat smoke is not blasting but very much forward. Lemon shortcake, green olives brine vanilla, honey, toffee, spearmint, charred ham. Always a good nose on those Islay’s. A dark fudge sweetness on the palate on the immediate sip. As you hold and swirl there is a crescendo of Black pepper. In between the rise, a hit of tropical pineapples and/or apricots, then moving on, a blast of citrus orange and lemons, and the a kick of tarry asphalt. All this is a body that is rich and oily. A finish of oak that dries the mouth. Lemon peel, cigar smoke and tar with a final cooling touch of mint sensation. An intense ride. Dips and dives: Smoke, sweet , citrus, pepper. What fun. A deep, soul-warming dram that just works. Balanced well between sweet, spice and peat. A fun journey through this whisky. [90/100][Tasted: 12/23/17]

Ooh yes. I drove quite a ways to pick up this "puppy". This has got to be the most complex dram I've ever had. Nose! I smell that peat and smoke - oh my... The sea is well with me here.. The brine... I got the TCP/Iodine in a good way, subtle... Fruit notes are there too! Another nose! I do get some dark chocolate notes back there... Palate time after about 5-10 min... At 51.7% neat, surprisingly doesn't burn as I thought... Definitely has a nice ham/bacon note with that salty brine. Wow... I can't believe how good it is neat, but I think it might need just a couple small drops to open even more... After a couple drops - nose has some toffee/butterscotch/vanilla in there, thankfully the peat and smoke remain too. Maybe some almond/marzipan too. You can tell it's young/immature a little, but it doesn't stop it from being extremely complex. It has that trademark Ardbeg finish - this one is medium/long with peat smoke brine and believe it or not, homemade fudge. It's a keeper, but I like all Ardbeg's except the flat 10 because I am not a fan of the lemon-lime taste. Finally, there is some smoked fish in the palate/finish as well. Phew, quite a busy dram.