🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Interesting that I didn't look up what I rated for the committee release a while ago but it turns out to be exactly the same - still unimpressive

Finally a twist on Ardbeg, lovely apple-pecan-pie on the nose. A bit too thin on the palate though.

Just a small sample at a fair. Did not convince me to buy a full bottle. A good old TEN is far better value.

21 22 21 21 85

So in the garden on the grill or just in between times (eg on a fair ;-)), he can not necessarily score big. But tasted with peace, he already shows his qualities. Whether he is priced or just in the frame, ultimately everyone must decide for themselves and their wallet.

[June, 2018]  I had this dram during this year's "Feis Ile" tasting session.  For about five years in a row I found every new Feis Ile Ardbeg edition weaker than the one before so I am curious if the Grooves can change this unfortunate legacy… The first impression on the nose is very Kelpie-ish with lots of peaty, herbal and eucalyptus notes (I do not like these because they remind me of bitter cough medicine when I was young).  The initial mouthfeel is warming but without any coating effect and a minor astringent feeling (heavy tannins from virgin oak).  Most probably the distillery owns a lot of virgin Caucasian oak casks that provide the eucalyptus notes and heavy tannins (you know, the owners of Ardbeg do not have a bourbon distillery in their portfolio so they have difficulties to source enough bourbon casks for the ever increasing production due to the ongoing whisky boom.  Consequently, they have to use virgin oak casks instead and they sourced some wood from Caucasia what is cheaper but it adds different flavours to the whisky than American or European oak.  Nobody tried this before so this flavour profile was unknown so far - but what can you do else if you run short of high quality oak supply from the traditional sources?).  The taste is very sweet with flavours of red fruits and dry peat.  Better than the nose, for sure.  The finish is of medium length and very chalky and mineral with a drying end (papers).  With water the dram gets less sweet and more peaty but the chalky and mineral notes increase too, what I do not like.  By the way, there is not much wine influence to detect at all neither in the nose nor the taste or finish. Okay, this one is better than the Kelpie but still I do not really like it (I find the standard 10-years old much better, without doubts).  My best guess is that Ardbeg desperately looks out for ways to get rid of the virgin Caucasian oak casks that do not fit into their standard editions like the 10-years old or the Corryvreckan because of the strong unusual flavours they impose.  But the good news is, the second fill of the Caucasian casks will be much better and less aggressive, for sure...

For me it's rather virgin oak than ex-wine casks. Slightly thin at 46%. But not bad.

Nose 22, taste 22, finish 21, balance 21

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2024/09/16/plastic-oh-no-band-battle-of-the-beg/ This didn’t go down so well for me on the [Ardbeg] Day in 2018, but then look at what it was put up against [WLP83]. Let’s try it in today’s context. N: Gosh, this is quite a shock after those two excellent ‘Ten’s’ despite their plastic corruption. There’s a distinct wine-like pong to this one. Ah, yes – ex-wine casks! Rather confectionary towards boiled sweets, lollies, and salmon[!]. Ardbeg’s saltiness is present, but the mix of peat, iodine, ash, and wine – what wine[?], sweet wine[?] – sauternes[?] – is a clash. T: My instincts were right the first time around. There’s plenty to talk about but this is truly a struggle once again. It reminds me of some of Wolfburn’s ‘experiments’, followed by Starward and their ‘Unexpected’ [WLP]. F: Menthol over aniseed, something of the jam of a Bakewell Tart, a bite of a Strawberry Split, then the confusing clash of the additional savoury peat, ash, bitter grilled lemon with a wine-y barley sugar conclusion. C: There are dozens and dozens of bottles still for sale from €150 on WBMarketplace and yet [still] going for under €100 at auction. Why anyone would want this over any of the standard expressions is puzzling. 83 [again]

Great nose, nice in the mouth, nothing to complain about, Ardbeg can release more of this variety

Eclatant This Ardbeg was the limited release for Ardbeg Day 2018. I have to admit that I was a bit Ardbeg-tired as I felt the special releases did not live up to the standard range. So my expectations for this Grooves were not that high. By the way: Grooves refers to the… err… grooves that appear when charring the red wine casks that were used for this release. The nose starts sweet and citrusy, with blood oranges, leather, rum raisins and freshly ground coffee beans. A bitter note from black grapes, furniture polish and tannins. Then some sweet pastry, rhubarb and paprika, followed by smoked ham and woodsmoke. The peat is present, surly – you notice this is an Ileach from the first moment – but the typical maritime character of Ardbeg is not immediately recognizable. Having said that, this one smells rather interesting. It starts sooty and salt on the palate, the smoke develops immediately and the sweet notes – that are present and actually increase – are no match for the distillery character now. But wait! While salt and sweet go to battle, it is citrus fruit that cries victory in the end. This makes for a playful malt that searches the extremes a bit and is quite surprising. Very spicy, by the way. Paprika, black pepper and barbecue sauce. Eclatant! The finish is somewhat short, mildly drying on espresso, pepper and smoke. Soot and more soot at the death. If there was something like caramelized charcoal, this is it! Congratulations, Ardbeg! What a fun expression. A conversation piece malt. Pleasant surprise.

Good, well-engineerd whisky from Ardbeg, that offers an interesting drinking experience. However, as with almost all the Ardbeg Day releases, their core range offer much more value for money.

An example of designer whisky. The nose is so strong, sweet and straight that there is no room for subtle notes. In the mouth then somehow too bitter and yet not completely harmonious, but also somehow unaware of extreme, so that does not quite fit for me. Still good whisky.

the almost caramelized toast side, the almost sweet peat, the more prominent fruit than usual in Ardbeg and the meaty meat side, then the sensation of cold grilled meat and cold ashes next to it make a singular spectacle!

Ardbeg Grooves was released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2018. Part of the whisky that makes up Grooves was matured in red wine casks that were very well-charred, resulting in heavy grooves in the surface of the wood.

quite different that nose and I guess commendable; a bottle would be worth having if the price was less: otherwise not value-for-money

COLOUR: light amber (without dye) - super special bottling from Ardbeg - a top Ardbeg-Day bottling => worth it - definitely a different direction than the classic Ardbeg style - very tasty combo between fruit and smoke - at the issue price at that time fully OK - current prices are rather collector's prices, nevertheless worthwhile this bottling is definitely worth drinking

The special bottling 2018 - again an interesting and very good Malt! [Color] amber;