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1257 Kensington Road NW
1 (403) 283-8000 / atyourservice@kensingtonwinemarket.com
$107.99
"An Oa" is named for Islay's wild Mull of Oa on the south-west coast. The prominent headland offers the Kildalton coast a bit of shelter from the tempestuous North Atlantic. The area was in centuries past the scene of much illicit distilling. The whisky is the first new core release in the Ardbeg range for close to a decade. Crafted to offer a more approachable take on Ardbeg whisky, the spirit was matured in a mix of PX Sherry, Virgin Oak and Ex-Bourbon casks. The mix was then rested in the distillery's new Gathering Vat'.
46.6% ABV
Producer Description
"A welcome new addition to the Ultimate range. Ardbeg An Oa is singularly rounded, due in no small part to time spent in our newly established bespoke oak Gathering Vat where whiskies from several cask types - including; sweet Pedro Ximenez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others - familiarise themselves with each other. The result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness. Hallmark Ardbeg peat,dark chocolate and aniseed are wrapped in smooth, silky butterscotch, black pepper and clove, before rising to an intense crescendo of flavour."
750ml ml
PRE-ORDER
This is not a guarantee of availability. You will not be charged until we can confirm we can get you a bottle(s). In the event we have more pre-orders than bottles we will draw names by ballot to allocate bottles for sale.
Andrew's Tasting Note
Nose: Old English Butterscotch ice cream, dark milk chocolate, fresh picked oranges, briny maritime tones and a frim base of earthy smoke; coffee liqueur, brandy soaked cherries and melon liqueur.
Palate: round, malty and smoky; the Old English Butterscotch ice cream hits first with cream soda and honeycomb; the chewy malt slowly rolls in with more dark milk chocolate and some soft tarry peat; more coffee liqueur and brandy soaked cherries; there is some bright orange and melon here, but they are thoroughly buried.
Finish: maritime, malty and creamy; cream, fruit, butterscotch and tarry peat; medium in length and light but layered in weight.
Comment: this malt slides nicely in between the 10 year and Uigeadail; a touch of sherry but not too much; an excellent complement to the rest of the range.
Evan's Tasting Note
Nose: Peanut shells, apple cider, yeasty bread, maple bacon, brown sugar, Ovaltine, lavender, potpourri, milk chocolate, olive oil, sponge toffee, sea salt and hay in a barn.
Palate: Creamy. Soft smoke and ash, sweet chilli sauce, sea water, honeydew, black pepper, Juicy Fruit gum, nutmeg, Ovaltine again.
Finish: Smooth, smoky and soft. Not as big as Corryvrecken and Uigeadeal which shouldn't come as a surprise with the lower alcohol content.
Comment: A slightly lighter and sweeter side to Ardbeg.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: Rounded and smoky - like burning Applewood - with creamy toffee, aniseed, treacle and dates. A curious suggestion of juicy fruits, such as peach and banana. With a drop of water, reminders of Ardbeg’s classic fragrance – lime, pine resin, fennel, saddle soap and tar. A gentle waxiness, like fragrant candle wax, and hints of smoked herbs. An Oa gives a final subtle reminder of the sea with briny notes and seaweed but always accompanied with creaminess.
Palate: A smooth, creamy texture leads into a huge syrupy sweetness, flavours of milk chocolate, treacle toffee, aniseed, orange and smoky tea leaves. Gentle, sweet spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), some cigar smoke, and a very unusual flavour of grilled artichokes. Wood is always present in the spirit, gently nutty and reminiscent of a carpenter’s workshop. A long, sweet finish, with floral overtones, mint toffee and some gentle malty biscuit notes.
Finish: A smooth, creamy texture leads into a huge syrupy sweetness, flavours of milk chocolate, treacle toffee, aniseed, orange and smoky tea leaves. Gentle, sweet spices (nutmeg & cinnamon), some cigar smoke, and a very unusual flavour of grilled artichokes. Wood is always present in the spirit, gently nutty and reminiscent of a carpenter’s workshop. A long, sweet finish, with floral overtones, mint toffee and some gentle malty biscuit notes.
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Evan here - 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 are keen 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.
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.
The core range of Ardbeg is 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!
$86.99
The latest core release in the Ardbeg stable is Wee Beastie, a 5-year-old Ardbeg that was created to be the rawest and most peaty Ardbeg ever bottled. The whisky is matured in a mix of ex-Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks. 47.4%.
Producer Description
"Ardbeg Wee Beastie is the latest permanent expression to join the Distillery’s Ultimate Range. At just five years old, Wee Beastie is a feisty young creature with a formidable taste."
More from Ardbeg
"Our whisky creators set out to make the rawest, smokiest Ardbeg ever. The result is Ardbeg Wee Beastie and this tongue-tingling, beautifully smoky dram is the youngest Ardbeg we’ve ever made. On the snout, intense aromas of cracked blacked pepper mingle with sappy pine resin and a sharp tang of smoke. Suddenly, an explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. Savoury meats sink into the palate before the long salty mouthcoating finish slinks away… revealing the inner beast of this Islay icon. Young and intensely smoky, this is a dram untamed by age. Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie is perfect for enjoying neat or as the mouth-watering main ingredient in a powerfully smoky cocktail."
$132.99
This Ardbeg, pronounced (pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’), is a mariage of ex-Bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It takes it's name from the mysterious Loch that also happens to be Ardbeg Distillery's water source. It is bottled at 54.2%, but is still very approachable and savoury with the melding of sherry notes to Ardbeg's classic style.
$152.99
The Corryvreckan started out as a replacement for the Airigh Nam Beist but has become a legend in its own right. The whisky has a unique sweet and spicy twist which blends well with the whisky's peaty maritime backbone. Bottled at 57.1% this whisky is often amongst the highest scoring with whisky critics and reviewers. It gets its sweet and spicy characteristics from the French oak in which some of the vatting is matured.
$99.99
One of Scotland's most beloved whiskies, this 10 year old highlights the distillery's peaty provenance. Although technically the most peated full time production whisky in Scotland, the distilleries stills and spirit-purifier gives this malt a softer edge than might be expected. It has been bottled at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering.
