Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!

Rating: 18/23 Nose: This takes a few minutes to develop, but I detect the typical Ardbeg tar alongside black pepper, sea salt, and a touch of rye tartness. There's a minerality that adds a light, papery sweetness. This is accompanied by some roasted lamb and a slightly floral, bitter papery note resembling wet cardboard. The salinity begins to take on a vegetal quality, and the profile becomes lighter. Palate: I can't recall the intended characteristic here, but I suspect rum casks were involved based on the name. However, I don't perceive the molasses rum sweetness I anticipated. Instead, it's somewhat briny with vegetal notes, suggesting youth or rhum agricole. It doesn't taste as young as Ardbeg The Wee Beastie, thankfully, as that unpleasant sulfur is absent. There's a spicy pepperiness combining black pepper with a hint of Sichuan peppercorns. Within this, some savory smoked meat is present. Later, there's a bitter, tarry peat with smoke rising from it. The key point is that with the spiciness and dryness, I also get a significant rye presence. It's definitely less prominent than the peated malt flavor, but it accounts for the minerality and tartness. Honestly, this now strongly reminds me of Whistlepig PiggyBack. I could still be mistaken, and rhum agricole barrels might be part of the mix, but I'm leaning towards young-ish high-rye barrels. Finish: Peppery with that rhum agricole vegetal character and a touch of sea salt. Smoke drifts throughout, with a hint of numbing peat. - Conclusion - This is a solid dram. It's more edgy and unconventional than Ardbeg 10, although it also tastes somewhat less mature and, naturally, less polished. Ardbeg 10 is more balanced with a clearer identity. This seems like an enjoyable one-off, and I wouldn't necessarily say it's better than Ardbeg 10, but considering it's a special release, I don't find it exceptionally compelling. That said, the complexity is quite pleasing. I appreciate all the layers to consider. It's restrained in terms of fullness and richness, which allows me to discern all sorts of swirling flavors. The question now is: what rating should I give it? I can't imagine it being below a 17, but it's also not mind-blowing, so it's not a 21 or higher. Laphroaig 10 (17) isn't quite on the same level as this. However, as I return for my final sip, the tart, minty, briny, mineral (which seems like rye, actually) aspects start to feel a bit excessive. I think an 18 is most appropriate. Thank you for sharing this with me! I truly enjoyed the rye character and it's made me ponder the potential of peated ryes and rye finishes. Did I ever check what this is actually finished in? Unsure. But I certainly appreciate how that character reminds me of a dry, spicy, herbal rye.

This is not your typical Ardbeg (nowadays almost monthly) release. This one has been made with love. To commemorate Mickey Heads, who has been Ardbeg's Master Distiller for 13 years and is now retiring. He wouldn't pick any normal Ardbeg for his own tribute, so, there is this Arrrrrrrdbeg! (With 13 letters, one for each year). A lovely looking label with Mickey Heads drawn as a pirate with shortie the dog in his arm. Bottled at 51.8% alcohol by volume, finished in Rye casks. On the nose... KABOOOM! Bacon, car tires, white wine, green grapes, plastic, horse saddle, pork rind, thick vanilla and Smoke. Yes, it is THAT crazy. After a first sip, the aroma changed into a more maritime profile. Gooseberries, iodine, povidine, and those diet rice rounded cookies. Smells like a pond, a nerf toy, or a water balloon. Very "Rocky" and mineral. Fantastic stuff. On the palate, it is an amazing rollercoaster. Starts with chocolate fudge, salt, sulphur, red fruits, spiciness from rye whiskies. Powerful, yet friendly. Super smooth, smokey, thick delicious vanilla. Aftertaste just follows on how great this whisky is. Chocolate, mint, a pair of new cotton socks, a leather wallet, aniseed and smoke. Very long finish, smokey, tar, petroleum oil. INCREDIBLE. Overall, this whisky felt perfect. Everyone on the tasting event I hosted loved it big time. It is not harsh at all, but super powerful and incredibly complex. A marvelous dram, my score for it is 100 out of 100. Cheers Mickey Heads!

The aroma starts with a campfire by the ocean with a light breeze blowing the salty air towards you, then charred fruits of lemon and orange followed by candied bacon, smoldering peat briquettes that transitions to a mix of new car/tire, gingersnap cookies, and toasted pumpernickel bread with a light ethanol burn. The taste has a medium to viscous mouthfeel starting with fruits of lemon, tangerine and dragon fruit, then sea salt caramel, smoked pork belly, freshly opened bag of rubber mulch, gingersnap cookies, white pepper, toasted pumpernickel bread and light oak with a medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with tangerine peel, dragon fruit, gingersnap cookies, campfire ash, chocolate-covered pretzels, charred pork belly, pumpernickel bread and new tires that lingers for minutes. The rye flavors aren't big or bold in this one, but act as a background note to the Ardbeg character that comes in right towards the end of the nose, taste, and is light on the finish to help complement those Ardbeg notes and provide something a bit different and interesting. The peat notes are toned down in this much like an older Islay whisky and are well-balanced with the rye spices, adding some additional notes to the Ardbeg DNA without any single note overpowering the others but working harmoniously together in this tasty dram.

I believe I've finally moved past the initial excitement for this Ardbeg. Having been quite disappointed with nearly every special release since Blaaack, my usual expectation is letdown. So, when I finally poured the half bottle I shared with a friend (saving a full one to enjoy later), I was ready to be unimpressed. The aroma is quite captivating. Vanilla, sweet confectionery, and peppermint spice mingle with wood smoke. I'm surprised by its sweetness upon tasting. Wood smoke and gentle peat emerge but don't dominate. The spices from the rye truly round out this dram. It's very good. It might be among my favorite special releases in recent years, certainly better than Scorch, Ardcore, or Hypernova. It's a fitting farewell for Mickey.

I had stopped following the Ardbeg committee releases after the disappointing Drum, but based on samples of last year's bottling and this most recent one, I might have to start again. This delivers much of what you'd expect from a rye-cask edition, adding a touch of extra spice to the Ardbeg character. This means a hint of white pepper alongside the gasoline aromas and caraway seed spice on the palate that persists through the smoke into the finish. Otherwise, it's a smooth, creamy Ardbeg that is a simple pleasure to drink. By the way, if last year's edition had a sequence of 'a's in its name and this year's has the 'r', does that imply next year's name will feature a sequence of 'd's?

The nose is remarkably similar to smoked shortbread with a touch of ginger and many sweet, baked elements. This is an outstanding aroma! The palate is surprising. Sweet, smoky, sugary, and buttery, it matches the aroma's description of smoked shortbread or a sugar cookie seared over a campfire. There's also a hint of black licorice. It's exceptionally distinctive and not the intense peat typical of Ardbeg. The finish reveals the barrel's influence with oak, subtle allspice, nutmeg, and leather, plus some anise. It's dry and lingers, with sweetness becoming more apparent as you inhale. This is quite pleasant, and I'm eager to continue tasting to discover more nuances. Each sip unveils further complexity in the finish.