Introduction
Wow, it’s been quite a few weeks since I posted any whisky reviews. I’ve been busy with a work project, and while I’ve had my fair share of drams, and taken notes here and there, I just didn’t find the time to write an actual blog post. My plan now is to quickly post a series of notes on core Islay expressions.
In January, I read Serge’s great post about reviewing whiskies and establishing “benchmarks” for yourself on WhiskyFun.com. For the most part, I think I’ve done basically what he talked about in that article when reviewing whiskies. When I take tasting notes, it’s in a controlled, consistent environment. I always compare with familiar expressions, and I have personal “benchmark” expressions for different types/regions of whisk(e)y.
Ardbeg 10 has been an Islay benchmark for me over the past two years. However, after reading Serge’s post, I realized that I never actually wrote up my notes and provided a score on this expression. So here we go…
Ardbeg 10
Tasting Notes
Ardbeg 10 (2010; 46%; $50)
Nose: A combination of sweets and wood smoke, like eating smores at a camp fire. Some fruit (leaning towards citrus) and vanilla are also present. Palate: Big and oily, turning peppery as it works towards the back of the tongue. Bottling at 46% was a wise decision! Don’t confuse “big” with rough, though. This is actually a pretty smooth customer. Finish: Continued pepper on the tongue, and the camp fire comes back up through the nostrils. In fact, it’s as if the wind shifted and the smoke blew right in your face and stuck to your nose hairs. As the finish very, very slowly dies down, I feel like there is a hint of licorice or anise present. This is a flavor that I’m generally not fond of, but this whisky is so good overall, I’m able to work around it.Comments: Relatively light in color, but deep and brooding at heart, I think Ardbeg 10 is the perfect drink for sitting in a cabin in the woods during the winter, near a fire and reading a book. It’s well rounded, smoky, and big without being overwhelming. I’ve had two bottles of this…one from 2006, and this 2010 bottle. From my notes, I found the two to be very similar. This expression is deserving of the many accolades it receives, and truly is a benchmark Islay whisky. Obviously, not an expression for the anti-smoke crowd. This is on the high side of a B rating for me; 86 points.
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Nice write up Jeff!
as funny as it sounds i’ve not reviewed this benchmark dram properly myself, and what is more funny is that i’ve finished my bottle a few months ago, and did not get a new one!
as much as i like this 10, i much prefer the Uigedail when Ardbeg is concerned.
Thanks Gal…I did the exact same thing! Went through my whole bottle of 2006 Ardbeg 10 and never posted a review. I finally bought this new bottle a couple of months ago.
Next up, another another standard I’ve never gotten around to reviewing…Laphroaig 10.
One question if at all possible can or did you review talisker distillers edition 1998 i have a bottle lovely scotch thanks for your time-Felix Cappuccio.
Hi Felix,
Ah, yes…the Talisker DE really is a beautiful whisky. I hope to always have a bottle in stock. I went through a 1992 200ml bottle, tried the 1988, and currenly have the 1996 version open. I’ll have to do a write-up before the bottle gets too low. Spoiler…I like it more than the Ardbeg 10. 🙂
Thanks,
Jeff
Hey Jeff, I am actually writing up about the 10yo myself right now. I have had 4 bottles in the last 12months and not written one thing.
The biggest thing I have noticed with the Ardbeg 10yo is it’s rich explosive flavour on first opening. +4 weeks after opening the dynamics quickly drop off and then +2 months it has lost most of the peaking rich textures focusing more on the thicker smoke and peat.
These days I make a point of not having a Ardbeg 10yo opened any longer than 4 weeks.
Hey there, Matt. Thanks for the feedback! I’m looking forward to your post on the 10 year.
Interesting that you’ve noticed such a big difference in a relatively short amount of time. I agree that there is a noticeable change after first opening, but hadn’t noticed such a pronounced drop-off. I’ll have to keep a closer eye on that in the future.
Cheers,
Jeff
I’ve had about 8 bottles of this over the years – and yes, I prefer Uigedai as well (Uigedai is easily in my Top 5 list for whiskey when money is a factor). I also prefer the Talisker DE (mostly empty on my LITER size from travel retail – and that’s my 2nd bottle!).
I love the sherried, smokey islay/island whiskey. But I’ve never noticed a huge dropoff on my Ardbeg 10 after a period of time. I’m pretty good about spraying the preserve gas, however – especially at the 1/2 bottle point, and that could be saving me some of that experience…?
I’ve so far not had an Ardbeg I didn’t really enjoy. I’ve had a few I wouldn’t pay for – or pay for again – but I liked them all a lot. They do a great job.
On the other side of the Ardbeg tree is the new GlenMo Finealta – that’s a fine whiskey! Jeff – you should pick up a bottle and review it, or I’ll send you a sample if you like. It’s a really enjoyable drink!
Realizing two things:
1) I can’t spell Uigedail without the “l” at the end
2) I never made the point that I do prefer Uigedail, but it’s typically at $30-$50 more expensive than the 10 year where I shop. Making the 10 year a happy compromise.