Ardbeg 10 Year
Whisky : Ardbeg 10 Year
Country/Region : Scotland/Islay
ABV : 46%
Cask : Ex-Bourbon
Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home
Nose : Salt and medicinal iodine assault the senses before the smokey embers of a fading fire rise up. Close your eyes and the nose transports you to a windy beach at night, the sound and smell of salt spray wash over you and mingle with the sweet smoke of a distant bonfire and the promise of warmth.
Palate : Sweetness of barbecued meat, caramelized sugars and fats accompanied by a wash of briny salty bog water. As it rests in the glass it develops a sweetness more like dried citrus rind, at once orange or lemon or even bergamot.
Finish : Soft mix of brine and smoke hangs across the palate. Perhaps its the pale color, or the lighter body, I always expect Ardbeg 10 to finish quicker than it does.
Score : 6
Mental Image : Memories of a beachside bonfire.
Something Better : Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster 18 (similar salty/sea quality, better body, smoother with age)
Something Similar : Ardbeg An Oa (similar but opposite, far less salt/iodine, more rich sweetness, similar smoke)
Something Worse : Laphroaig 10 (a bit less sea, a bit more smoke, a bit less body/oomph)
Notes : Every time I open up this bottle I have a different experience— I have at various times found it to be salty swill and at others to be sooty fish sauce. Its this variance in flavor that I really enjoy about the Ardbeg 10, it always seems like there is something new to find in the glass, it has a great complexity which makes it exciting to pour a dram.
The complexity can also be a draw back— if you are not a fan of medicinal iodine— it can be hard to really get into the 10 as that nose really penetrates and has a tendency to dominate the palate. It is not an easy scotch to sit and mindlessly sip at the end of the day, its a dram that demands more attention than most entry level malts.
