Ardbeg Grooves

The packaging boasts vibrant, psychedelic lettering reminiscent of 1960s-70s album art, blending influences from The Beatles' "Rubber Soul," The Who's "Magic Bus," and the color palette of Stevie Wonder's "Songs in the Key of Life." The bottle itself, however, features Ardbeg's contemporary design, incorporating Celtic heritage motifs. The name of this special release, "Grooves," is displayed prominently on the label in a psychedelic font. Frankly, it's a garish presentation. Instead of elegantly integrating a Celtic theme with psychedelic visuals in an Art Nouveau or Art Deco style, it appears as if someone graffitied the label. This stylistic clash is not sophisticated; it's hideous! Considering the exorbitant price, it borders on sacrilege. I immediately resolved to finish this abomination and uncover its peculiar origins. Upon returning home, I set it apart from my other Ardbegs and discreetly placed it behind a bottle of GD 15, awaiting its destiny as my next pour straight from the bottle. However, when the moment for tasting arrived, there was no grand revelation. No intricate interplay of clashing aesthetic elements. It was simply Ardbeg's signature quality, execution, and excellence because... well... "it's Ardbeg!" Let's get to the details. The aromas consist of charred wood and smoke, mingling with a delightful sweetness and mild red wine fruitiness. Further smelling reveals a smooth scotch profile with notes of honey and malt, echoing peat and sweetness, with hints of red fruit. It's one of the most inviting scotch aromas I've encountered. The palate is similarly sweet, with a hint of soy-infused barbecue, bringing to mind Korean short ribs. Unlike the Uigeadail's rougher, sherry-forward bacon character, this is more polished: beef grilled over charcoal, accompanied by generous glasses of pinot noir or chianti. Nevertheless, it's less sweet and less viscous than the Uigeadail. With its lower alcohol content, it naturally has a less intense impact on the senses. So, while this isn't Ardbeg's war cry of charging warriors in tartan - it's also a far cry from Haight-Ashbury's bohemian drinks or disco fueled by dandruff. The finish is drier and spicier than the Uigeadail, which I attribute to the toasted barrel influences. The scent from the empty glass is rich with wine-marinated steak and American BBQ sauce. For research purposes, I followed this tasting with Lagavulin 16, and the Lagavulin was merely a smooth, though dangerously so, bourbon-cask scotch floating on a wisp of white smoke. The sea spray and brine notes, which I least enjoyed in the Lagavulin, were a distant memory. Truly remarkable. While I likely won't purchase another bottle, if I even find one - this is a superb scotch, crafted correctly. It has certainly sparked my curiosity about the Blaaack and An Oa, while simultaneously managing my expectations. Was it 'Groovy'? Absolutely... I was anticipating dessert but I'll proceed to assign a score.

Peat and enjoyment! I had read numerous reviews for this whisky, many of them mixed, which made me hesitant to try it. Ardbeg Grooves was the 2018 Ardbeg Day Release, named after the indentations formed during the heavy charring of ex-red wine casks used for its finishing. We've heard "Grooves" or "Groovy," but few truly understand its meaning. It's slang for deep enjoyment; something cool or excellent, popular in the 60s and 70s. So, put on some bass-heavy music, as we're tasting this gem. Bottled at 46% ABV, it has a tawny color, which isn't typical for Ardbeg. The nose is quite amazing and incredibly complex. Pleasant peat, hints of cotton socks and gooseberries. Black pepper, lemon, and other citrus aromas are abundant. Wasabi, chili, and significant cinnamon. Red fruits, like strawberries. It's very complex and evolving. Cotton candy notes are present. After four minutes, it became very wine-like. After a second taste, it transformed into a perfume of red fruits and cinnamon, possessing that texture. It has a fabric softener quality. A stinging sensation. Grapefruits; the peat is minty and fresh. The palate, however, lacks complexity and feels more like a bridge between the outstanding nose and the great aftertaste. It begins with a fleeting vanilla kick. Sweet red fruits mingle with pepper and chili. Very spicy, with gooseberries. The finish is delicious and rewarding. Smoky and spicy, with a perfect amount of saltiness. Not harsh, but distinctly fiery in a pleasant way. Not overly complicated, but a great peaty conclusion. Herbal and medicinal notes are present. Overall, I was wrong to doubt purchasing this. It's a delicious, highly enjoyable Ardbeg; perhaps the most easily drinkable expression from this distillery, without sacrificing its character and distinct profile. I might listen to some jazz tonight before bed to enhance the experience. My score is a well-earned 92 out of 100.

Info: This is the Ardbeg Day 2018 celebration bottle. It aims to be a more extravagant expression than Ardbeg's usual range. Indeed, this Islay scotch is aged in heavily toasted red wine casks, meaning the casks are so intensely burned that the wood on the surface of the staves is marked with large grooves. Nose: Big thick caramel, sweet molasses, and smoky Ardbeg-style salty beef jerky. Notes of herbs or seaweed. Floral or lavender notes. Very complex on the nose. Palate: Cherry and smoke meat. Campfire smoke and green seaweed. Marine and sweet. The caramel is present but you quickly move past it. Round, with a beautiful thick and oily texture. Excellent balance at 46% ABV, in my opinion, just perfect in aromatic intensity; I'd be remiss to dilute such a perfect balance with a drop of water. Finish: Long and beautiful. Notes of smoked meat and sugar. Truly, the image of smoke meat with a sweet cherry BBQ sauce stays with me and likely best summarizes this scotch. Overall: Oh, how I love this! Different but skillfully made. I generally like Ardbeg but remain objective when I evaluate. $180 CAD at the SAQ for this bottle means we're paying for the product's exclusivity more than its actual quality. Not that I find the product to be poor quality, far from it. But I struggle to place it in this price category... especially since I just bought a Fino Cairdeas for $105 and I'm comparing it to a Corryvreckan I paid almost $115 for. In short, there's competition! Aside from its questionable value for money, this scotch is simply an aromatic marvel! Enormous complexity that we recognize as a distillery constant. 92% minus 5 points for price = 87%

This is my third experience with the annual releases from Ardbeg. The Perpetuum and the Kelpie were both good. Older releases are difficult to find now and are often only available at double the original price, so I'll keep value for money in mind. Let's dive in. Nose: Vanilla custard, toffee, and dark chocolate. Also band-aids, iodine, sulfur, and campfire smoke. A hint of tennis ball. Hookah and ballpark soft pretzel. As it sits, coastal notes emerge. Seaweed, sea salt, and brine. Black bean red pepper chili adds some spice. Oak. Palate: The dark chocolate, vanilla custard, and toffee are prominent again. This time they are accompanied by grapefruit, lime, and lemon citrus, along with agave. More seaweed, brine, and sea salt. Band-aids, iodine, sulfur. Hookah and ballpark soft pretzel. Something like raspberry or strawberry jam. Fudge and milk chocolate. Chestnut. Black currant. Black bean red pepper chili. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Agave, lime, and lemon. Dark chocolate, vanilla custard, and toffee. Chestnut. Sea salt, brine, seaweed, campfire smoke, band-aids, iodine, and tennis ball. Mint chocolate. Hookah and ballpark soft pretzel. Black bean red pepper chili. Black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. A long finish. Excellent whisky. The Ardbeg peat complements the ex-red wine casks well. It offers a great combination of brine, smoke, and earthiness with rich sweetness. 4.75/5. As I mentioned, I purchased this years after it was released. Naturally, I can't penalize it too harshly for the price increase ($180) since I was the one who waited so long to buy it. I'm a fan of unique, one-off releases—they're challenging for any collector but can also turn out to be the best finds. I'm glad my urge to try them led me to purchase this. Well done, Ardbeg.

It's always a mix of sadness and joy to drink an Ardbeg. With so many of their bottlings being unique, you never want to finish a bottle, but it's a lot of fun to drink from one. This was sadly one I never saw the committee release of, and by the time the standard bottles reached me, I assumed if Kelpie was still on shelves and Dark Cove was available for over a year... surely Grooves would last. Sadly, I was mistaken, and this one vanished from shelves here incredibly fast. Nose - my initial reaction is that it reminds me a bit more of Lagavulin's profile than Ardbeg. Those wine casks must be giving me a similar note to a PX sherry, perhaps. Behind that is smooth smoke, sweet puffs, and wonderful toasted oak. Taste - One of the things I appreciate about Ardbeg generally is how broad the range of tasting sensations is, and Grooves elevates that. I get sweet, delicate wine notes upfront with some sweet honey. Then it moves into these candied notes on the mid-palate, almost like a lemon drop without the sourness, and not truly a lemon flavor, but the sweetness of that candy/sugar itself. Then we get into the peat and smoke as the finish arrives with spices, pepper, and brine and smoke. With many whiskies recently, I detect a distinct salt note, but not here. There is brine and salty elements with it, but I don't perceive a distinct salt flavor. If you can still find Grooves near its suggested retail price, grab a bottle! I'm ranking this with some major contenders and I feel confident scoring it 3.5. It's not Dark Cove, which spoiled us, as that might have been a 4.5 at cask strength. Still, it's a winner!

Ardbeg Day tasting! Comparing Ardbeg 10, An Oa, and Grooves. Let's start here – All are delicious and worth purchasing. The An Oa has hints of new oak, and even French oak, with a nice spicy finish. The finish is longer and spicier than the 10. The palate on the An Oa is a bit richer and less harsh, offering more balance. The PX sherry integrates the smoke into a pleasant whisky. The An Oa surpasses the 10. The Grooves is sweeter, with an almost syrupy wine finish. The finish is longer and slightly better than the An Oa's. Sweet, balanced, lovely finish; it has a slight edge over the An Oa. The preference between Grooves and An Oa depends on your palate. If you enjoy red wine, Grooves is better. If you prefer bourbon, An Oa is better (I detect some virgin oak influences on the An Oa). Rankings: 1. Grooves – due to the longer finish and being slightly sweeter than An Oa; 2. An Oa – better balance than the 10 and a much better finish; 3. 10 – a solid dram with aggressive smoke that is very likable. All are good. If I were buying, I'd choose the An Oa. If it were a gift, I'd choose the Grooves.