Ardbeg 10 years

The flagship of the Ardbeg distillery is still the Ardbeg 10 years. No matter what they try with new additions like the Ardbeg An Oa and Ardbeg Wee Beastie, the Ardbeg Ten is still a firm favourite with many. Quite understandable because is there a fine whisky to be found in the market, if we are talking price/quality ratio. Ardbeg is always good, but some are just a bit better and the Ardbeg Ten is one such whisky that stands out above the rest in terms of taste, but certainly in terms of quality.

Tasting note

Nose

A burst of intense smoky fruit escapes into the atmosphere, peat infused with zesty lemon and lime, wrapped in waxy dark chocolate. Bold menthol and black pepper slice through the sweet smoke followed by tarry ropes and graphite. Savour the aroma of smoked fish and crispy bacon alongside green bell peppers, baked pineapple and pear juice.

Add water and an oceanic minerality brings a breath of cool, briny seaspray. Waxed lemon and lime follows with coal tar soap, beeswax and herby pine woodlands. Toasted vanilla and sizzling cinnamon simmer with warm hazelnut and almond toffee.

Taste

An explosion of crackling peat sets off millions of flavour explosions: peat effervesces with tangy lemon and lime juice, black pepper pops with sizzling cinnamon-spiced toffee. Then comes a wave of brine infused with smooth buttermilk, ripe bananas and currants. Smoke gradually wells up on the palate bringing a mouthful of warm creamy cappuccino and toasted marshmallows. As the taste lengthens and deepens, dry espresso, liquorice root and tarry smoke develop coating the palate with chewy peat oils.

Finish

The finish goes on and on, long and smoky with tarry espresso, aniseed, toasted almonds and traces of soft barley and fresh pear.

More information

Ardbeg Ten Years Old is revered around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all. Yet it does not flaunt the peat; rather it gives way to the natural sweetness of the malt to produce a whisky of perfect balance.

Non-chill filtered.

What other say about it

On WhiskyFun.com, this Ardbeg 10 yo 'Ten' actually always gets high scores. The most reviewed version gets a score of 91/100 points. 

Read what Angus and Serge say about it here.

Ardbeg Distillery

Ardbeg Distillery is located on the south coast of the island of Islay, famous for its rich whisky tradition. Founded in 1815 by the MacDougall family, Ardbeg has a turbulent history with several closures and re-openings, but has become one of the most highly regarded Islay distilleries.

A distinctive feature of Ardbeg Distillery is its strong peat influence, resulting in whiskies with an intense smokiness and maritime character. The distillery uses traditionally handmade copper pot stills and local peat from the surrounding peat fields, which gives the whiskies their distinctive aromas of smoke, sea salt, and tar, combined with hints of citrus and vanilla.

Ardbeg whiskies are mainly matured in ex-bourbon casks, which ensures a deep and complex flavour. The distillery is also known for its innovative approach, with experimentation in different cask types and maturation processes producing unique and award-winning expressions.

The combination of traditional production methods, an iconic location and an unmistakable flavour profile makes Ardbeg a leading name in the world of Scotch whisky.