Ardbeg Kelpie

Any whisky enthusiast that has an Instagram account has at least seen this bottle a couple hundred times. And i got to say that every special edition from Ardbeg tends to go quickly off the shelves and starts to be available for an absurd price on secondary markets. Having said that, i was eager to try "Kelpie" for a long time. As always, some lovely story behind it all. A Kelpie is a mythological scottish water spirit, that resides in lochs, that can take any form, usually a Horse, but can even have a human shape. If the Kelpie gets a human form, some say the horshoe is still on its feet. The most famous Kelpie is the Loch Ness monster; so, everything about this tale is amazing. Lets talk about the whisky. Bottled at standard Ardbeg strength, 46%abv, non-chill filthered, matured in "Black Sea" oak casks from Russia, and bourbon casks. Black sea oak is made from a tree called Quercus Hartwissiana, that grows near the Black sea. Pretty interesting stuff. On the nose, it is a little strange. Starts very poorly, but grows into a nice aroma. Right from the start, you typical Ardbeg peat, but more citric and mossy. There is some dark chocolate fudge under the very medicinal peat. Oily on the nose, not something i usually find. Its like nosing a powerful mint hard candy. After 3 minutes, it released some pork and BBQ. It gets better, since this mint / citric aroma was not very appealing, but after 5 minutes, it is all about chocolate brownies and creamy vanilla. After a first sip, the nose became a dessert. Lots of chocolate, pears, creamy vanilla. Having more sips, just made it sweeter: a vanilla outburst, brownies, butter, a bakery. I have no idea where all this came from, specially when it was so different the first minutes. On the palate it is very easy drinkable, but it just follows one direction. It feels like a soft wine with an Ardbeg profile. First sip is peaty, but then it changes to a vanilla ice cream, with a hint of pepper. Vanilla gets stronger as you take more sips, maybe some prunes are present. Aftertaste is not from Ardbeg. A beautiful chocolate cake. Peat is tamed in a good way. You are not really overwhelmed by the peat, but somehow your lips are scorched after 30 seconds by a salt and ginger combo. It is all about creamy vanilla, moss and dim smokiness. I really have no idea why my mouth is peated after a while, since you don't really feel it when it should be felt... maybe is a peaty spirit that appeared out of nowhere, a proper kelpie. Overall, this is not your normal Ardbeg, and definitively not a normal dram. What i have described here is a crazy unfolding of aromas and flavors in a weird but not off-putting way. My score is a fair 85 over 100, and i encourage you to try it, to experience the strange things this whisky has for you. Sláinte!

The 2015 Perpetuum was solid. I don't think I'll ever get a crack at the Dark Cove. But I did stumble upon the 2017 release--this Kelpie. I think I severely overpaid for this one; in fact, I know I did. But it in 2020, when I got it, I had to pay if I wanted to play. And pay I did. I'll try not to let cost impact the score too much since I paid more than double what I imagine original retail was. Let's check it out. Nose: Campfire smoke, peat, iodine, sea salt, brine. Early on, there's some dark fruit. Blueberry, plum, and pomegranate juice. This replaced by pierogi, smoked sausage, bacon, and brisket in time. Tennis ball. Lemon and grapefruit. Vanilla custard. Not sure it it's the leaves or something else in the air, but there's a quality of autumn air here. Especially when you light a fire on an October evening. Black pepper and cinnamon. Plenty of oak in the background. Awesome. Palate: More of the campfire smoke hits heavy. The medicinal notes are toned down in favor of some sweeter notes. Vanilla, dark chocolate, and Golden Teddy Graham's. Some seaweed and sea salt. Briny notes are also less prominent than on the nose. The smoked brisket translates from the nose. As do the blueberry and pomegranate, now with blackberry and raspberry. Lemon and grapefruit. Black and red pepper. Amazing. Finish: First it's campfire smoke, followed by black pepper and cinnamon. Black bean red pepper chili. Peat, citrus, and dark chocolate notes complete a medium-long finish. Nice way to end it. I promised not to let cost compromise my rating since I showed up to the party so late with this one. I'm glad I shelled out for it, even if $200 is a ridiculous price. This one definitely bests the Perpetuum head-to-head. It's got the balance, depth, and personality of any great Islay, while simultaneously presenting a unique profile. 4.75. Wish I knew to buy this up when it was released. If I'm lucky, this store will still have one more for me--and of course, it'll be the same price. Another $200 purchase for something that probably debuted sub-$200. Yet, for this one, I'd say money well spent.

This NAS whisky from Ardbeg was released in honor of this year’s Feis Isle festival in Islay, Scotland. It’s named after a mythical, shape-shifting water beast that circles the island and terrorizes the locals. The whisky was released in two variations: the regular release and a special committee version that is cask strength. I had the good fortune to be able to try both of these side-by-side thanks to a friend in NJ and as an extra in our distillery trade group. This review is for the regular release that comes in at a robust 46% ABV. As with most Ardbeg’s, it has no color added and is NCF’d. It is primarily made from a special collection of virgin oak casks from a region off the coast of the Black Sea and another undisclosed batch of Ardbeg stock. It’s a beautiful, glimmering yellow gold and creates some watery, slow forming legs when you spin it. All the typical Ardbeg brine, creosote and campfire notes are initially present, as well. The nose opens smoky with a nice balance of sweet, Gala apples and a hint of lemon zest. Slightly sub-tropical fruits are here, too. Brine and seaweed add some bite. The opening notes on the tongue reveal earthy and salty peat, more traditional smoke and some intense, bittersweet chocolate. It’s very inviting. The finish is long and drying with the peppery heat from the oak. An additional bit of salinity and seaweed remains behind here, too. Great stuff. Overall, it’s another amazing NAS dram from Ardbeg. It lacks the super complexity of Oog-a-dal and the CorryV, but damn I’d love to turn this one into a staple in my home. The price is a bit higher than the core stuff, mostly due to the whole Feis Isle money grab...errr festival special release. It is worth the extra dough. It’s another magical dram from Ardbeg. Seek it out and enjoy everything it has to offer. You won’t be disappointed. 4.75 stars. Cheers, my friends.

This years annual release from Ardbeg is Kelpie. Matured in virgin oak from the shores of the Black Sea. This is the standard release version, not the committee release which I will be reviewing later. Bottled at 46% ABV and non chill filtered. I believe it is also natural color of a pale gold. A full and rich nose. Voluminous peat smoke, but also quite sweet. Lemon cakes and buttery blueberry muffins. The lemon notes are strong here, but sweeter than the 10 year old, which I find on the tart side. Fireplace ashes, creosote and tar. Beautiful. Lots of creamy vanilla, apples, pears and apricots. Salty seaweed, tobacco and leather. Truly a wonderful nose. The Black Sea oak gives this a very different feel than the Corryvreckan, but does not give quite the level of complexity (probably due to the fact that it's at 46% vs the 57.1% of the Corryvreckan). After some time it gets sweeter, like maple syrup. I could nose this all day. The palate is smoky and sweet. Not too intense at 46%, quite smooth really. Huge peat smoke, ashes, seashore. Peppery oak, licorice, lemon cakes. Rich oak, clove and ginger. Vanilla cream and salted caramels and chocolate. Marvelous. A medium to full body, oily but turns dry. The finish is long, smoky and sweet syrup. Dry Simply Ardbeg. Boy do I love Ardbeg! So much flavor. Smoke smoke smoke. Again, not as complex as the great Corryvreckan, but more than the 10 year old delivers. That Black Sea oak really added a nice layer to this one. At around $110 I'd say that it's worth the price. Not perfect but really good. Can't wait to try that committee release. A huge thanks to Pranay who provided this sample. Solid 4.5 Cheers

This is the 2017 Ardbeg Day release. There is a rumor that whatever virgin black magic black sea cask this Ardbeg was aged in made the whisky “too intense,” so it had to be blended with some Ardbeg Ten. This is what is wrong with the whisky industry currently! Can’t even let the balls hang out a little on a special yearly limited release. Shame. The Kelpie is like an Ardbeg doing a good impression of a Port Charlotte or Octomore. It is so salty, peppery, and savory. It is the most maritime Ardbeg Day that I can remember, but it is also fungal and farmy. The name Kelpie technically refers to a mythological sea demon, but I’m sure the folks at Ardbeg also realize that this shit tastes like sea plants. Brown, briny, slightly sweetened, very umami, seaweed and kelp, washed onto a mushroom farm. I’m sad if there is an uncensored version of this whisky that was not allowed to hit the market (perhaps the committee release is what I dream of? Or is it just an unwatered version of the standard release?)). Even so, this is my favorite Ardbeg Day release since 2013’s Ardbog, including this year’s rather impressive Blaaack. What holds this back is a metallic note that plagues many of today’s Ardbegs and an unfulfilling glimpse into a truly spectacular whisky that Ardbeg, before it needed to worry about a worldwide fandom, would have no problem in seeing through. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $100-130 if you can still find it at retail. Now up to $200 on secondary. How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $130

Well, it's the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving and there is a chill in the air. Wood stove is running. House is full of family. The youngest is home from college. All is right with the world at this moment in time. Sort through the samples from the SDT (I am so far behind and in need of working through the backlog) and what better pour is there than Ardbeg. A rubber-esq and smokey, seaweed briny sweetness fills the nasal senses. Nutty caramel and brown sugar come through along with pungent lemon polish and a hint of Iodine. Very much an Ardbeg brethren. Can I have a sip now? The palate is greeted with a deep, rich peaty char. Almost tar-like. Traces of brown sugar take the tarry btternes in check and blends. As the sweetness is absorbed and weakend, oak, black pepper and a bakers dark chocolate intermingle and bring you to a finish. A lemon zest provides a foundation of the finish where cigar ash and coal tar take front and center. Add a dash of black pepper for some spice. A deep and earthy ending. An Ardbeg foundation that, for peat freaks (hand raised), is very much satisfying. Though it's peaty with a sweety-brine, it does have a weakness in that it has a somewhat rushed quality and a bright youngness. The flavors are there but are not overly vibrant (Could it be tired casks squeezing the last bit of flavor from them?) That being said, I did enjoy this, and is a good dram. I do still prefer the 10 or Ugi, and at $30 to $50 dollars cheaper. [Dry Glass: Peated bog][86/100][Tasted: 11/21/17]