As yet another bottle of whisky bites the dust it is time to pen some notes on the dearly departed. Ardbeg Ten Years Old is an Islay Single Malt which rings in at 46% ABV, but doesn’t kill you with alcohol as much as it slays you with peat smoke. Once you get past the ashy nature you’ll find some nice complexity with vanilla, leather, and fruity notes coupled to peat smoke. Nuts and sherry lurk not far behind, especially in the nose. Somehow honey presents and in the end instead of sitting around with a mouth full of ashes you have an impression similar to the smoke character which excites the palate after some wonderful smoky barbecue. I had a difficult time getting past the smoke in the first few glasses I tried, but eventually came to love this for what it is, a very nice Islay Scotch. I think it was 50 beans or something in that world and at that price is not a difficult decision for a nicely complex and smoky whisky. If you don’t like the smoke, steer clear, but if you do, this is a nice glass.
Ardbeg Ten Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
27 Friday Oct 2017