[WHISKY REVIEW] Ardbeg TEN 🥃
Ardbeg celebrated 200 years in 2015, so it's not exactly a newcomer we're talking about. In 1815, John McDougall obtained the license to distill whisky on Islay, but according to historical texts whisky was produced illegally as far back as in 1794. The name Ardbeg comes from the small headland on the south coast of the isle of Islay where the distillery is located today. It took only a few decades before Ardbeg had become the main industry on the small island, and already in the 1840s, Ardbeg adverts appeared in Times Square in New York. Most of the Ardbeg production originally went to the blending industry and not single malt whisky as today.
In the late 1800s, Ardbeg was the largest distillery on Islay with a production of over one million liters of whisky per year. Today they need 3500 tonnes of malt in order to provide the market with the demanded volume, and the one who is quick in mental calculation can figure out the total production if I tell you that for every tonne of malt used the aim is to get 450 liters of finished product.
The distillery was in the McDougall family's ownership until 1977, when the economic crisis in the 70s had taken its toll and forced them to sell to Hiram Walker. The economic problems were not over and in 1983 the production was almost at a complete halt and the distillery had only a few employees who made sure it didn't fully decayed. In 1997 they were back in full swing under the ownership of Glenmorangie (Moët Hennessy).
Ardbeg get the water they use in the production from Loch Uigeadail, a small mountain lake about 500 meters long and 300 meters wide. Ardbeg traditionally uses malt with very high phenol content, which results in very smoky whisky. Almost all bottles in the Ardbeg range are non-chill filtered and several editions are bottled at cask strength. By far the most phenolic and consequently smokiest release from the distillery is Ardbeg Supernova at 100 ppm of phenols, which makes it one of the most smoky beasts from Islay (only beaten by the notorious Bruichladdich Octomore series).
Ardbeg Ten
ABV: 46%
Age: 10yo
Region: Islay
Cask type: Ex-Bourbon
Price: Around ~45 USD / 0.7L
Natural color & non-chill filtered
Nose: Heavy smoke and wet charred wood which is saturated with tar and harsh peat notes. There's also licorice together with a small and elegant touch of saffron. Beneath the surface a variety of citrus fruits, with bitter orange in the foreground, along with some fresh celery and ginger. After a while in the glass nice herby and slightly peppery aromas emerge and it all ends with a round and earthy oak character.
Palate: Fresh and youthful with a pronounced citrus character, along with a rich, salty and toasted oak character. At first, there are medicinal notes that in a way resembles chlorine and cough drops, but it's balanced by bitter-sweet orange, red apples, salt licorice, iodine and plums. The smoke gradually builds up and is quite ashy, but always balanced by the high sweetness.
Finish: Long, dry, salty and very smoky once the sweetness has left the mouth.
Conclusion: Still a wonderful and complex piece of work and great bang for your buck. This is 90 points in my book.
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Cheers mate! :)
Reading this with a glass of Ardbeg ten on my right hand (and Caol Ila 12 on my table)! Wonderful post!
I am a whisky beginning who recgonises myself as a Islay-lover. I own a few entry-level Islay and Laphroaig 10 is my fav at this moment.