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KWM 2023 Whisky Calendar Blog Day 20 - Ardbeg Wee Beastie

Posted on December 20, 2023

by Evan

I am not going to get into Ardbeg’s history or location or ownership too much. It is old, and it is on Islay. To say more is to preach to the choir for the most part. If you want to know more, just mispronounce the name as ‘Ardberg’ within the hearing of Andrew or Curt. You will quickly be corrected and then likely be given the chronological timeline of the distillery in question as well as a thorough essay on why it is perhaps the best distillery on Islay, if not in Scotland itself. That last part is more likely to come from Curt. Andrew only agrees with this when he temporarily forgets about his first love, which is Bowmore. All in all, I personally find it strange that both of them so easily ignore Bunnahabhain and Laphroaig Distillery’s greater merits. There truly is no accounting for taste!

Anyhow. For a relatively small distillery, Ardbeg’s releases have become relatively prolific over the past few years. The distillery can boast about having the most rabid fan base in the world of Single Malt Scotch, and many of its releases correlate with this. Just about every limited edition bottle of Ardbeg is released to Ardbeg Committee Members first. Membership is free and allows you to find out when the next Ardbeg Limited Release is, well, released.

If there is an issue to be had with many of these releases, it would be that they are mostly variations on a theme and don’t offer much information when it comes to the maturity of the whisky inside or how many bottles are in the batch. The variations on a theme issue is not a real problem if you love Ardbeg Whisky, it just means that some of the special releases may not offer that much unique character versus the readily available core range.

The core range of Ardbeg is pretty strong. If you like you want a taste of what all of the fuss is about when it comes to Ardbeg, the regular Ardbeg 10-Year-Old is a great place to start. If you want a bottle that is a wee bit sweeter and goes in a few more directions when it comes to flavour profile, Ardbeg An Oa should suit you. The combination of peat Sherry is your thing? Then go for the Ardbeg Uigeadail. If you want the Ardbeg-ness of Ardbeg dialled up to 11, go for the Corryvreckan. And now, if you find yourself craving a release of Ardbeg that has an age statement, but you already have the Ardbeg 10, you can go for the Wee Beastie!

The age statement part of this gripe is at least not a direct issue with the Ardbeg Wee Beastie that we will be tasting today. The Wee Beastie does carry a stated age of 5 Years Old, showing the number right on the front label. This itself is certainly a bold move, and there has been a bit of pushback by customers regarding the advertised youth of the bottle since it was first released in 2020.

I find that young, heavily peated Islay Whisky often shows very well – especially when compared to unpeated whisky of the same age. You expect a certain ruggedness with peated whisky, and the peat smoke itself does a tremendous job of hiding the imperfections of youth – something that I am personally jealous of. I have trouble hiding the crude flaws of immaturity myself and I am well into my fourth decade. If only I contained more peat smoke to mask my own unpolished character!

Anyhow, the Wee Beastie is matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso Sherry casks and is bottled at 47.4%. Let’s give it a go!

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5-Year-Old - 47.4%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Peaty, coastal, and youthful with raw shellfish and squeezed lemons wedges, creamy oatmeal, strawberries, and salty and peppery Slim Jim pepperoni sticks.

Palate: Oily and citrus-driven with plenty of creamy ash notes. Pasta in Carbonara sauce with pancetta, ground black pepper, grilled lemons, and imitation crab meat in California sushi rolls.

Finish: Oily, creamy, and ashy with salt, lemon juice, and more oatmeal.

Comment: It is youthful Ardbeg, but quite accessible if you are a fan of peat and Islay whisky in general.

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023

 

 

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