Ardbeg Dolce

Ardbeg Dolce

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Golden bronze
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, dried apricots, pears, smoke, peat, golden syrup, driftwood smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty bitter. Peat, driftwood smoke, pears, lemon zest, golden syrup, nutmeg, hints of white pepper. 
Finish: Long. Golden syrup, oakum, sea salt, peat, smoke. 

Comments: 

Salty, bitter but not as sweet as regular Ardbeg. It’s missing the chocolatey note that I find, instead it’s got golden syrup and nutmeg, rather like smoky bread and butter pudding. Absolutely delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Kidalton 22yo

Kidalton 22yo

Vintage Reserve, Milroys of Soho
Single malt - Islay
Amber gold
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, passionfruit, mangoes, malted grains, apple juice. With water, lemon zest, germolene, apple juice, coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, hot, mouth coating.  
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Mangoes, smoke, peat, apple juice, malted grains, lemon zest. With water, lemon zest, sea salt, smoke, apple juice. 
Finish: Long. Malted grains, smoke, coffee, dark chocolate, peat. 

Comments: 

Not your usual Ardbeg, doesn’t have the deep chocolate and coffee notes. Instead it’s quite fruity, with plenty of tropical fruits including mangoes and passionfruit. Water brings out a saltiness.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg 15yo 2008/2024

Ardbeg 15yo 2008/2024

Single Cask, Royal Mile Whiskies
Single malt - Islay
Pale amber
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, ice cream soda, lemon zest, leather, germolene, white chocolate. With water, germolene, lemon zest, cocoa nibs. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. White chocolate, smoke, peat, lemon zest, diesel exhaust, white grapes, honey. With water, lemon zest, white chocolate, smoke, cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Short. Diesel exhaust, smoke, lemon zest, germolene, ice cream soda. 

Comments: 

Chocolatey and smoky, a rather classic combination of flavours for Ardbeg. But the chocolate is white and the smoke is car exhaust, specifically diesel. Interesting and intense.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Pale green gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, peppermint, chocolate, smoke, peat, sea salt, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, warm, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peppermint, lemon zest, smoke, tyre rubber, peat, malted grains, chocolate, sea salt, hints of oats. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, chocolate, black pepper, lemon zest, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Ardbeg is smoky chocolate to me, but this one has a big hit of peppermint and lemon. It’s also slightly salty, and that enhances the other flavours. A very good dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 18yo 1990/2008

Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist 18yo 1990/2008

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Green gold
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, tobacco leaf, peaches, charcoal ash, dark chocolate, leather, cedar. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, astringent, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Smoke, peat, germolene, charcoal ash, white grapes, peaches, leather. 
Finish: Medium. Germolene, white grapes, white pepper, cedar. 

Comments: 

Chocolate, fragrant woody spice, charcoal and smoke - it must be Ardbeg. It’s a classic one too, always wanted to try this. And it didn’t disappoint. It’s delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg BizarreBQ

Ardbeg BizarreBQ 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Copper
50.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, brass polish, creosote, marmalade, germolene, leather, hints of white spirit. With water, vanilla, marmalade, apple juice. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, oily, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Brass polish, tarry rope, raisins, dark chocolate, leather, smoke, marmalade, hints of tobacco leaf. With water, leather, peat, peanuts, marmalade. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, peat, smoke, creosote, charcoal ash. 

Comments: 

Sweet, tarry and slightly sulphurous. It’s not very barbecue-y, but perhaps that’s the bizarre bit. It’s got huge notes of marmalade and dark chocolate. Quite delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg 14yo 2008/2023

Ardbeg 14yo 2008/2023

Cut Your Wolf Loose, Woolf Sung
Single malt - Islay
Amber
63.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, orange peel, pears, lemon zest, golden syrup, hints of dark chocolate. With water, smoke, dark chocolate, orange peel, cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Dark chocolate, smoke, honey, toffee, pears, raisins, molasses. With water, smoke, leather, dark chocolate, cloves. 
Finish: Long. Pears, smoke, golden syrup, leather, hints of peat. 

Comments: 

Lovely Ardbeg from the famous Brighton bar. It’s sweet and chocolatey, quite quintessentially Ardbeg for me. There’s other stuff - bitter dark molasses, fragrant cloves - that make this very interesting.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg Hypernova

Ardbeg Hypernova

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Bright gold
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, leather, lemon sweets, peat, pears, butterscotch, raisins, hints of apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, airy, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Leather, smoke, lemon sweets, peat, apples, butterscotch, raisins, yoghurt, hints of cocoa nibs. 
Finish: Medium. Cocoa nibs, raisins, lemon sweets, smoke. 

Comments: 

Supposedly more peaty than the Supernova, but it’s still sweet and refreshing. The chocolate is less robust than other Ardbegs, becoming bitter cocoa, and there’s. a fair bit of lemon sweets.

Verdict:

I like this.

Arrrrrrrdbeg!

Arrrrrrrdbeg!

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay
Straw
51.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, lemon zest, milk chocolate, smoke, malted grains, leather, sea salt. With water, sea salt, smoke, lemon zest, roast chicken, oyster shells. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, warm. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Smoke, rye bread, sourdough bread, black pepper, malted grains, lemon zest, leather, sea salt. With water, lemon zest, oat clusters, black pepper, hints of milk chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Lemon zest, rye bread, black pepper, oat clusters, hints of milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

A fragrant and slightly tart Ardbeg. The smoke has been gentled a little by the spicy rye cask, and there’s plenty of those rye notes mingled with the malt. There’s just a whisper of the Ardbeggy smoky chocolate. Very cool name!

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5yo

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5yo 

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islay 
Dark gold
47.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, dried apricots, sea salt, pear drops, orange peel, tobacco leaf.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, loosens, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Orange peel, tobacco leaf, dried apricots, smoke, vanilla, peat, hints of salt caramel. 
Finish: Short. Vanilla, lemon sherbet, smoke, peat. 

Comments: 

The newest addition to the Ardbeg range of age statement expressions, this whisky is wild and unbalanced, lots of sweet, sour and bitter going on. But somehow, it works - the bitter smoke goes well with the citrus and vanilla. There’s not a lot of chocolate in this Ardbeg, but there’s a herbal note that I sometimes find in other, older bottlings. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardbeg Blaaack Limited Edition

Ardbeg Blaaack Limited Edition

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, roast mutton, chocolate, vanilla, peat, hints of rubber.  
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, thickens slightly, turns sticky. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Roast mutton, vanilla sponge, chocolate, white grapes, smoke, peat, hints of rubber.  
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, smoke, leather, honey, vanilla.  

Comments: 

A limited edition Ardbeg! Very meaty, sticky, even oily. There’s a lot of sweet in this, but it’s flavour notes masked by the salty spirit. Lots of smoky chocolate as usual. Lovely stuff. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release 2014

Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release 2014

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Silvery gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, leather, smoke, white chocolate, vanilla ice cream, sandalwood, cinnamon. With water, melons, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peat, leather, white chocolate, apple juice, milk chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, orange juice, lemon zest. With water, peat, cigar smoke, vanilla ice cream, melons. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, tobacco leaf, milk chocolate. 

Comments: 

A chameleon of a Supernova. This is chocolatey and sweet underneath that peat and smoke, but there's also fruit and spice. With water, it whiffs of peat and smoke, but the sweetness is still there, even more chocolatey. Magnificent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Supernova 5th Release 2019

Ardbeg Supernova 5th Release 2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Golden
53.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, vanilla ice cream, white chocolate, honey, hints of peach. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Leather, smoke, peat, honey, white chocolate, white pepper. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, white pepper, honey, peach. 

Comments: 

An interesting Ardbeg, this isn't as 'classic' as the first release. It's white chocolate instead of dark chocolate, and there's a nice peppery bite on the tongue as well. On the nose, heaps of vanilla ice cream and fruit underneath the smoke and peat. Glorious - I think I like it better than Supernova 2009.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg 1974 19yo

Ardbeg 1974 19yo

First Cask, The Malt Whisky Circle
Single malt - Islay
Light gold 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, chocolate, pears, apples, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Sea salt, peat, smoke, dark chocolate, pears, lemon zest, peaches, hints of balsamic vinegar. 
Finish: Long. Peat, smoke, tobacco leaf, peaches, dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

A slightly unusual, yet delicious Ardbeg, this whisky has but gentle peat and smoke. There's salty notes of the sea, alongside the peat, but also plenty of fruit and dark chocolate. I felt this would have been better at a higher strength, but it was gorgeous even at 46%. I'll take the rep's advice and seek out more First Cask bottlings in the future, if there are any left.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardbeg Twenty Something 22yo 1996/2018

Ardbeg Twenty Something 22yo 1996/2018

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Silver gold
46.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, smoke, cooked rice, orange zest, honeydew melons, green tea, hints of thyme. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, slightly oily, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Peat, leather, smoke, orange zest, cooked rice, vanilla, gooseberries, hints of green tea. 
Finish: Medium. Peanuts, leather, orange zest, camphor, thyme. 

Comments: 

What a saline, cereally, herbal, fragrant Ardbeg! Rather unusually, there's not a lot of chocolate in this, instead there's light fruit, and a tang of cooked rice. It feels like it should be smooth like starch and astringent like green tea, but instead it's got a nice oily mouth feel.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Grooves

Ardbeg Grooves

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber
46% ABV
Tiny taste

Nose: Red grapes, honey, smoke, chocolate, marmalade, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slightly oily, cool. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Chocolate, red grapes, candied oranges, smoke, nutmeg, hints of butterscotch. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, caramel, smoke, peat, candied oranges. 

Comments: 

Wow. A non-age statement Ardbeg, but quite gentle, very little peat. Plenty of sweet things however - jam, classic Ardbeg chocolate, honey, and sherry red grapes. A pleasant and unusual twist on Ardbeg, normally so uncompromising and robust.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Supernova Stellar Release (2009)

Ardbeg Supernova Stellar Release (2009)

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Green gold
58.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, peat, smoke, sea salt, leather, hints of vanilla. With water, caramel, peanuts, butterscotch, iodine, preserved lemons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Peat, lemon juice, smoke, vanilla, white grapes, peanuts. With water, peanuts, salted lemons, iodine, hints of limes. 
Finish: Long. Peanuts, lemon juice, sea salt, fresh cut grass. 

Comments: 

I finally got to taste this magnificent whisky! It's a classic Ardbeg, if you add water, but I prefer it neat. It's austere and simple, smoke peat, lemon, some sweet floral notes. I'd say it's my favourite Ardbeg so far, along with Lord of the Isles.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Ardbeg Dark Cove

Ardbeg Dark Cove

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Amber
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cream, chocolate, cinnamon, peat, smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens slightly, sticky, slightly chewy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Cream, malted grains, apples, sawdust, peat, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Long. Peat, sawdust, apples, chocolate, smoke. 

Comments: 

Ardbeg 2016 official expression. Creamy, milky even, with plenty of apple. It's peaty and smoky of course, with a woody sawdust note, wreathed with a bit of chocolate. All in all, a decent Ardbeg, I quite enjoyed it.

Verdict:

I like this.

Ardbeg Auriverdes

Ardbeg Auriverdes

Official bottling
Single malt - Islay
Golden
49.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, applesauce, stewed pears, smoke, molasses, hints of red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, watery around the edges, slightly fizzy. 
Tasting: Bitter sweet Ginseng, apples, smoke, honey, brown paper, hints of pomegranates. 
Finish: Long. Ginseng, stewed pears, applesauce, honey, smoke. 

Comments: 

Whisky tasting note number 700! And it's a... well, not classic, but a famous one. Issued to commemorate the 2014 World Cup in Brazil (Auriverdes, gold and green, geddit?), it's overpriced of course. But it's really quite tasty, with lots of fruit and sweet honeyed smoke, and a hard, bitter edge underneath. Easy drinking Ardbeg!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 33.68 (Ardbeg 9 yo 1998/2007)

SMWS 33.68 (Ardbeg 9 yo 1998/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Islay
Pale yellow green
57.4% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Dark chocolate, black tea, sandalwood, honey, lavender, peat, hints of smoke.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, smooth, oily.
Tasting: Salty. Lemons, brine, honey, black tea, dark chocolate, smoke, peat, leather.
Finish: Long. Lemons, chocolate, sandalwood, black tea, hints of smoke.

Comments:

A very very lightly smoky Ardbeg. In fact, it's hard to tell that it is Ardbeg in the first place! But the usual Ardbeg flavours of honey and chocolate are present in abundance, together with fragrant sandalwood and black tea. A interesting and unusual dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.