Ardbeg Corryvreckan replaced the Airigh Nam Beist in the Ardbeg lineup in 2009. Corryvreckan is created form a mixture of casks, which includes some Burgundy wine casks and is named after the second largest whirlpool in the world (located north of Jura which is north of Islay). It’s a powerful and brutish whisky with subtle notes and undertones that move and shift like the undercurrent that surrounds it’s namesake.
Bottled at a pounding 114.2 proof this dense dram brings a lot of multilayered facets with it and like most whiskies bottled above 45% it benefits from a bit of water to help unlock the true potential it holds. Just a light splash will get this whisky churning, starting a chain reaction that opens the whisky and allows notes that were previously hidden deep to float to the surface. A fine dram indeed.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review
Distiller: Ardbeg
Age: NAS
ABV: 57.1%
Bottling: L13 240 11:12 6ML
Price: $85
Cask Strength
Non-Chill Filtered
Natural Color
EYE
Dark amber
NOSE
Peat and a sherry raisiny sweetness move out first and trailing behind is a complex aroma of sweet and savory notes like vanilla frosting, leather, baklava, smoked meat, honey Teddy Grahams and a mild dark fruit. Water kicks up some cumin like spice and dark sweets.
PALATE
Peat and a tarry sticky sweetness slide across leaving notes of raisins, sherry, dates and figs sprinkled with hints of vanilla, leather, spice and an odd note I can’t quite place. It’s not a bad note in any way and adds a nice dimension to it, I just can’t fully describe it as anything more than a dark earthyish note. Water kicks up the spice a bit more along with a dark honey note and makes the overall flavor come across richer.
FINISH
A long slow fade of peat, dark fruit, leather, cinnamon, mint and a light touch of woodiness.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Spot on balance, round smooth body and a thick slick heavy texture that is so easy to drink you forget it’s 114 proof.
OVERALL
Ardbeg Corryvreckan is awesome. I like it almost as much as I do the Uigeadail, but just not quite. Oogie is a hair more complex overall but Mr. Corryvreckan is nothing to sneeze at either. That Dense rich dark aroma is pleasant from first sniff to last as is the complex and dark flavor that shifts and moves across the palate. This whisky is an experience and one I recommend whisky lovers have!
SCORE: 93/100
