Whisky : Ardbeg Grooves (2018 LE)

Country/Region : Scotland/Islay

ABV : 46%

Cask : Extra charred Red Wine

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home

Nose : Smokey, sweet, and tangy it’s mouthwateringly charred pork belly.  On the other side is the sweet musky scent of ripe blue berries along with fresh baked cherry pie.  A complete and delicious meal.

Palate : Roasting fat, charcoal smoke, and grilled meats give this dram a rich and meaty character.  Sweet fire roasted peppers, tobacco, and smoked vanilla offer complexity and depth. 

Finish : Long lingering Christmas spices and smoked vanilla slowly fade.

Score : 8

Mental Image : In a Korean Barbecue joint the fatty marinated pork belly begins to crisp on a smoking grill.

Something Better : Octomore 6 Year Paulliac Wine Cask (longer finish, more grilled seafood than pork)

Something Similar : Longrow Red (less smoke, similar red wine tannins)

Something Worse : Kilchoman Red Wine Finish (savory/sweet fruit & smoke, less body)

Notes : This Ardbeg Limited Release was a home run.  The combination of wood char, peat, and red wine melded perfectly to create  one of my favorite Ardbeg expressions.  It is a savory bomb that is perfect for pairing with hearty food.  It has great depth of flavor and a well rounded body.

This review is coming out a bit late to help most people— indeed the new Ardbeg “Drum” 2019 LE has already begun spreading across the US & global network of distributors. With any luck, my own bottle will be here by the end of the week, I did not want to miss the opportunity to try it after being impressed by both the quality of Grooves and the generally successful rum/peat combination in Glenfiddich Fire & Cane.

I had hesitated to pick up Grooves.  The last several Ardbeg Limited Editions before it had not impressed me.  Why buy Dark Cove over Uigeadail when Uigeadail is cheaper and tastier?  Still, I thought the flavor notes sounded interesting so I bugged the local shop to find out when they might get their allotment.  The fact that I got a bottle speaks to the importance of making friends with the local shops.

In this case, the employees knew I was on the hunt for Grooves. One day when I walked to see if they had anything new in stock an employee waved me over and told me he had a bottle of the Grooves set aside.  He scurried to the back office, reappeared with a package under his arm, and then passed me a wrapped up bottle behind the counter.  I felt like a secret agent.  The manager came out to say hi and see who that bottle had been saved for, who was taking home one of the half dozen that they had received.  To be honest, I probably would not have bought it after I found out the price had I not felt a little obligated since they thoughtfully saved me one.

I do not regret it at all.  Grooves has been hands down my favorite limited release so far.  Even if I could not get a Committee Release (cask strength) version of it, the standard retailed Limited Release was delicious.  Perhaps more important is the relationship with the shop, whose employees and manager have helped me find other bottles for which I have been on the hunt.