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.