Ardbeg 10 2015 Release marks the removal of the L convention previously used to date a bottle of Ardbeg. The codes are now quite easy to read with the date simply laid out, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t miss picking up a bottle, seeing L15 XXX and knowing what it meant; having esoteric, and often useless, info can be fun.
Back in 2014 when I did a whole month dedicated to Ardbeg it was fun to find the codes and look them up on Ardbeg Project to get more details, but alas it is no more. Ah the “good old days”.
In Ardbeg’s Words: Ardbeg 10 – 2015 release
“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. Named World Whisky of the Year in 2008.”
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last few years it’s that Ardbeg 10 can change and swing a bit from release to release so let’s dig in and see how the Ardbeg 10 2015 Release pans out.
Ardbeg 10 2015 Release Info
Region: Islay, Scotland
Distiller: Ardbeg
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon
Age: 10 years
ABV: 46%
Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: 2015
Price: $50
Ardbeg 10 2015 Release Review
EYE
Flaxen
NOSE
Vanilla frosting, dried fruit, peat, sugar cookies, honey and light notes of caramel, saline, olive oil and banana taffy. I like it, but can’t say I’m wild about the aroma here.
PALATE
Grilled pears, birthday cake, peat, cinnamon, honey candy and some lighter caramel banana taffy and Whoppers (candy not burger). The birthday cake note comes across a bit like a spirity waxy vanilla, but isn’t prominent enough to kill it.
FINISH
Long and peaty with bits of olive oil, fruit and Whoppers.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Ok balance, round body and a syrupy juicy feel.
OVERALL
I’ve never picked up a banana taffy note or “birthday cake” note in an Ardbeg till this Ardbeg 10 2015 Release, both of those are new to me in this delivery. I’ve picked up some hints of vanilla before, but never that waxy vanilla “birthday cake” note. Neither the banana or cake note was fully distracting and I still enjoyed what I was drinking, but it did make me wonder what was going on and are now things I can’t “un-taste”. What an odd release.
SCORE: 85/100 (B)
