With today’s review of Ardbeg’s Wee Beastie, I am kicking off a look at entry-level Original Bottling peated whiskies. Islay will inevitably be a big focus but there are a couple of interlopers to keep things interesting. I don’t see myself as a peathead, though that was my way into single malt and I still have a soft spot for a good smoky dram.
TL:DR: Certainly Wee, as in young, yet much more nuanced than the Beastie name would make you presume.
Vote*: 6.5, Good Stuff on most days. When I feel like something a bit punchy it moves into Very good stuff territory.
A little self-reflection and steering the ship back on track
Before getting into the Ardbeg Wee Beastie review, I took a moment to look back at my recent post and realised my writing was starting to move into whisky-bore territory. Taking a little break from the regular rhythm of the blog with my Wee Toon posts gave me a little time to reflect. (In case you missed the Campbeltown posts, you can check Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3).
I decided to start this blog for two very simple reasons. The first is simply for the fun of it. I am certainly not looking to get famous or rich (nice one!). Or to become an influencer… I simply cannot be arsed. The second reason, and hopefully what makes this useful for you who are reading this, is to share my journey. I am no expert and I have no pretense to be. Do I want to become more knowledgeable and become better at tasting whisky? For sure, not to pontificate though. Ultimately Road to Dram started to share my journey with the hope of helping others on the same path. So time to get back on course.
From today my reviews will include more of a reflection on what each dram taught me. made me discover or realise. It will also have a short “You may like this if” to help other new drinkers consider a possible purchase (or not). With the hope that this makes them more helpful to others like me. If you have any feedback, I would greatly appreciate your comments. And now that I bored you to sleep, let’s get back to the whisky
A young Wee Beastie
The Wee Beastie is a recent addition to Ardbeg’s core range. Launched in 2020, parently it was apparently inspired by the “Very Young”, “Still Young” and “Almost There” series released in the early 2000s as runners-up to the first 10-year-old (Renaissance) produced completely under the new Glenmorangie ownership.
The marketing material online and on the bottle really pushes the idea of a powerful dram, to the point of it being declared “The rawest, smokiest Ardbeg ever” on the distillery website. That frankly doesn’t do much for me. I dropped the macho BS pretty much as soon as puberty was over. More than anything I was drawn by the price: having a chance to try an Ardbeg, with an age statement at around 40€ is a fantastic opportunity for a new whisky fan. The age also sold me. I often read that peat intensity declines with ageing so I was eager to test that out.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 year old
Specs
Price paid: 39.79€
Lot/bottled date: L2427216 bottled 09/11/2021
ABV: 47.4%
Natural colour: not stated, but the European labelling does not carry the “mit Farbstoff” wording could it be natural colour?
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: Ex bourbon and Oloroso
Tasting Notes
Colour: rich old gold. Either the casks used are active first-fill ones or maybe there is caramel colouring after all.
Nose: Certainly punchy to start. I get intense peat notes of wood smoke, phenolic vapours, then black pepper, sea breeze and sour lemon. There is a lingering resinous note in the background, more tiger balm than pine raisin. Pretty soon the peat mellows down. Not sure if it just loses potency or if it is me, getting peat blind. Probably the latter.
In any case the nose change quite dramatically with stronger ex-Oloroso and ex-Bourbon cask notes. In succession, I smell milk chocolate-covered raisins, bacon fat, star anise, orange blossom, orchard fruit, vanilla, powdered sugar, and green tree sap. Behind these notes, there is a persistent mild smoke and maritime note. The nose is less pungent than expected, yet still impressive, especially for a 5-year-old dram.
Taste: The mouthfeel is rich and oily but I immediately forget about it as the youth hits hard. This is quite hot. A lot of pepper and even chilli spice, medicinal peat, sea salt, and ash. As my palate gets used to the onslaught I start getting through the spirit and cask notes: caramel, a little vanilla, rich malted cereal notes. Not bad, certainly rougher and more Beastie than the nose would make me think
Finish: every time I try the Wee Beastie I like the finish more than the palate. This is where I feel my limited peat-related aroma notes fail me most. There is more than what I am able to describe. What I do recognise is treacle, sea spray, smoke, black pepper spice, and some umami notes, mushroomy & meaty. There is a final mouth-drying sensation and a tar and camphor aftertaste.
Vote: 6.5 The Wee Beastie intrigued me yet didn’t completely win me over. Wee, as in young it certainly is Even a bit too much for my taste. It is less of a Beastie than I would have expected. The palate is punchy but nose and finish have more balance.
* Votes are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
My closing thoughts
I expected to be punched in the face by peat reviewing the Ardbeg Wee Beastie. At most, I got a couple of peaty slaps. Not that I mind. The whisky is probably more enjoyable for it. So much for marketing hyperbole. If you ever want to show how overblown whisky marketing can be, this is a good candidate case study.
Part of my interest in this whisky was to see if peat really is stronger in young whiskies and then declines. The reality is that in isolation the statement is irrelevant. It needs a comparison with another older whisky. So I grabbed a wee dram of Ardbeg 10 (to be reviewed soon). These are two very different whiskies. Is it weaker? Maybe. What I noticed is that the peat in the 10-year-old has a different, less punchy, more rounded character.
In the end, would I buy it again? Tough one. The price is great and I don’t regret grabbing a bottle at all. I am pretty sure I will continue to enjoy it for a while. Yet, will it be replaced once it runs out? The truth is that with so many other peated whiskies out there, I have my doubts this will make my permashelf. You never know though, I guess I’ll have a better opinion after the blind tasting I am planning at the end of this series.
Which of my newbie mates would I offer this to? While it is not as feisty as advertised, it still packs quite a punch. It is not a dram I would choose to start off with someone new to peat. So definitely one for someone who already is a peat lover or is discovering peat and wants to explore more, with a caveat. The youth is evident and there is quite a bit of burn, so maybe one to keep for those friends that can tolerate a bit of ABV.
I always find it interesting, after writing my tasting notes, to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Ardbeg Wee Beastie l I enjoyed:
Malt (Wee Beastie and Ardbeg 10)
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