After exploring a peated Islay whisky with a unique character with the Port Charlotte 10, it is time to go back to a more classic profile. Today I am reviewing the Ardbeg 10 year old. Considered by many the consistent foundation of Ardbeg’s lineup, this is an old friend. Time to revisit it after a few years distance.
TL:DR: Briny, medicinal and fresh. As close to a textbook Islay peat whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks as you could wish for.
Vote*: 7.5, Very good, verging on something special.
2000’s Ardbeg vs today’s emerging distilleries
In my previous Ardbeg review review, looking at the Wee Bestie, I didn’t spend a lot of time talking about the distillery’s history. Today I’ll grab the chance to reflect on how Ardbeg launched this product. Ardbeg’s current launch strategy has its fair share of critics. Making fun of Ardbeg’s current marketing strategy, with its flood of special releases and hardly justified prices, has become a bit of a whisky geek insider running gag. Yet the way the distillery approached its relaunch was something else. As someone who works in marketing myself and someone whose whisky journey was positively impacted by Ardbeg, I make no qualms that I may have a fanboy bias. I will leave it for you to judge.
Go back to the years between 1981 and 1996: Ardbeg was far from the popular distillery it is today. It went through two closures until it was acquired by the Glenmorangie group in 1997. With a new era beginning, Ardbeg smartly went about creating expectation and loyalty ahead of the launch of the release of a regular 10 year old produced fully under the new management. It is something that always comes to my mind when I observe today’s whisky scene and how new distilleries approach the market.
Today, we are used to new distilleries flooding the market with special releases. I find the multitude of releases from some new distilleries (take Lindores, Lochlea, Raasay) confusing. That is not to say I dislike the products these distilleries are releasing. Quite the contrary. Yet I am none the wiser as to what their future regular lineup will taste like. Also, who can or wants to keep up with all those bottlings in a world where choice is ever-expanding? I understand the need that drives them: cash flow. I just wish they would take a long term approach in their strategy. To be fair, not every new distillery follows this playbook. Just look at Torabhaig or Ardnamurchan. They provide a clear indication of what their house style is and a controlled lineup of releases.
The (marketing) road to Ardbeg 10
So why am I a fan of what Ardbeg did back in the 2000s? Between 2004 and 2008 Ardbeg released a series of bottlings paving the way to the launch of the new 10 year old. The series was made up of 4 bottlings: Very Young, Still Young, Almost There and Reinassance. It remains a great example of how to keep your customers engaged, by creating a connection with your customers and providing insights into how the whisky was evolving. Independently of where you lived in the world as a whisky fan, you could experience vicariously how Ardbeg’s future 10 year old was evolving. That is not to say Ardbeg did not have any special releases during the time. Some left a gap (at least in my memory), like the Airigh Nam Beist. Still, compared to what we see today at Ardbeg, these were few and relatively far between.
Since launch, the Ardbeg 10 has remianed a beloved part of the distillery’s lineup. While other distillery bottlings, like the Uigeadail, have attracted grumblings regarding decreasing quality, the 10 has a reputation for consistency. As my last Ardbeg 10 bottle before today was probably emptied 6-7 years ago, it is high time to go back and re-review an old friend.
Ardbeg 10 year old
Specs
Price paid: 47.80€
Lot/bottled date: L2468585 24/11/2022
ABV: 46%
Natural colour: not stated, considering the colour there may be small amounts
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Casks Used: ex-bourbon
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale straw. How much comes from caramel colouring? Not much probably, but could we please just have a switch to no caramel colour Ardbeg?
Nose: Unmistakably peated, and unmistakably Islay with a strong immediate phenolic/TCP (or band-aid if you prefer) and smoke hit. Immediately behind the peat, there are fresh lime and lemon aromas, and black pepper. Maritime notes emerge with sea spray and a strong, almost green olive-like, brine. Then some bready notes for a moment transport me to a bakery workshop.
With a little time, I start noticing a second level of aromas. A whiff of BBQ meat, some camphor, limestone notes of crushed seashells, a big hit of tar, and even a hint of heather. And then there is an explosion of fresh apple and vanilla notes that seem to go on forever.
Taste: Rich and full, almost velvety mouthfeel. The taste remains consistent with the nose. A strong medicinal peat hit, then citrus (more lemon than lime), briney, tar and just a hint of pepper spice. There is more sweetness, light caramel, and malted barley than on the nose. The result is a sparkling sweet and sour balance. Thinking about the aromas, it would be easy to imagine this as quite spiky on the palate but it is instead rather velvety.
Finish: Medium length. Even before the peat and tar, which remain strong on the finish, there is a very strong maritime note. A slight pepper spice, vanilla, and freshly cut apple remain on the finish together with the lingering TCP note from the peat.
Vote: 7.5 very good, verging on something special. This is a dram that activates my memory and nostalgia. The first time I fell in love with a peated Islay, it was that hit of medicinal peat and fresh maritime character that won me over. Today, when I want that classical Islay profile, Ardbeg 10 is the dram I grab from the shelf..
* Votes are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
My closing thoughts
I could just paste a big smiley face as my review closing remark for the Ardbeg 10 year old. Having a bottle like this one easily available, makes the world feel a little better. It is one of those bottles that is affordable, offers great quality and has remained true to itself through the past 15 years. While I may not understand, or want to understand, what the heck is happening with the special release whirlwind, I am glad Ardbeg is still paying attention to its “humble” 10 year old.
Would I buy it again? I have no doubt I will. Unless the owners mess with the recipe or decide to follow the premiumization route for what is an excellent entry level bottle, the Ardbeg 10 will remain a staple.
Would I offer this to a new whisky drinker? There are few bottles I could imagine being a clearer example of Islay peated whisky than the Ardbeg 10 (and to a certain extent the Caol Ila 12 which I will review next). Unless peat is a dislike, this is THE bottle I would use to introduce new drinkers to the style.
I always find it interesting, after writing my tasting notes, to look at other opinions.
Here are a few other reviews of the Ardbeg 10 year old I enjoyed:
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