Ardbeg Scorch

Rating: 17/23 I don't recall the specific characteristic here. I'd assume either rum barrels or toasted barrels or charred barrels. Nose: After a few minutes, I begin to detect Ardbeg tar mixed with something slightly sweet. Blackstrap molasses perhaps? A hint of toasting emerges, then it becomes herbal with a distinctly dry quality. I detect black and white pepper, though predominantly black. A touch of anise. Eventually, a bit of roasted meat makes its presence known. That rich sweetness gradually increases, revealing more molasses and faint traces of green banana. It also takes on a slightly vegetal character. Tar, sweet molasses (occasionally with hints of maple), spices, and smoked meat are the prominent notes here. And it definitely seems somewhat toasty. Palate: Much richer with more toasting characteristics than Ardbeg Arrrrrdbeg. There's the familiar tar with added smoke, but also a touch of sweetness that reminds me vaguely of molasses. This is sweeter and slightly less intricate than Ardbeg Ten. It's possibly fuller, but not significantly. Between the two, I would actually guess this is younger. There's also a bit more harshness. Allowing this to linger on my tongue, I do perceive some decent complexity. Tar blends with smoke, then iodine, gives way to caramel barrel notes, incorporates a touch of vanilla, carries its floral note back through the peat, and into some minerals and brine. A pleasant layer of smoked meat with toasty wood. Hints of dungeness crab. Eventually becomes oaky with a strong flavor of new oak vanilla. Finish: Toasty, peaty, smoky, vanilla. Not an incredibly complex finish, but a flavorful one with sufficient elements. This isn't as fruity as Ardbeg 10, and upon side-by-side comparison, I detect more bourbon character from Ardbeg 10 as well. Ardbeg 10 is slightly sweeter but less full-bodied. It also has less burn and possesses greater complexity. This is also more refined than Ardbeg An Oa. I much prefer the sweet vanilla here to An Oa's peculiar barbecue/campfire flavor. However, the vanilla sweetness here still impacts the maturity, though pleasant brown sugar, smoky, and fruity (candied orange) complexities do emerge. This is somewhat like a well-executed single barrel offering that didn't quite reach its full potential. Still, this rates at least a 16. At most, this could be an 18. I find Laphroaig 10 (17) to be slightly better than this, but not vastly superior. So I'm considering a 16 or 17. I'm a bit undecided, but I believe there's sufficient complexity for the 17. Thank you to a friend for sharing a sample of this! I was glad to have the opportunity to try it after missing my chance to find it locally.

Review #078 Type: single malt scotch Proof: 46% Details: No Age Statement, aged in heavily charred ex-bourbon casks Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Russet hue. Swirling shows a thin line on the glass, with slow-forming legs. Nose: 16/20 Prominent notes of black smoke and vanilla. Hints of barbecued meats, rusted metal, and a briny sea breeze are also present. Curiously, perhaps a touch of soap suds? Palate: 34/40 Sooty ashes and smoked ham are the initial tastes. Deeper exploration reveals adhesive bandages (reminiscent of Laphroaig 10's aroma), heavy cream, vanilla, black pepper, and citrus zest. Finish: 32/40 A medium-long finish. It begins with soot and wet ashes, continuing to the end, mingling with mild briny and rubber notes, finishing with a hint of oak spice. With Water: A few drops of water bring out a sweeter aroma, with notes of yellow apples and cinnamon sugar. It also adds some spicy oak tannins to the palate, but unfortunately mutes the other flavors too much. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: This is a very good whisky, but it doesn't justify the price. I'm pleased to have had the chance to try it, but regret having to purchase a full bottle to do so. I appreciate the impact of the heavily charred casks on the spirit, but it seems a bit too diluted and subdued. I wonder about the taste of the committee release version. Price: $110 Would recommend: no Would buy: no Scoring Legend: 96-100: The ultimate dram, truly exceptional, divine, I will cherish this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Almost perfect, possesses something truly special, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, nearly flawless, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, highly enjoyable but not mind-blowing, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to repurchase, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way for it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

I was fortunate to acquire this 2021 release as late as I did. I haven't been as consistent in purchasing these releases as I have with the Cairdeas line, partly due to inconsistent pricing and limited availability. However, they are consistently good when I do manage to get them. The Scorch is matured in heavily charred bourbon barrels. This should complement the Ardbeg spirit well—I believe Ardbeg is the top Islay distillery pound-for-pound in terms of peat parts per million. Nose: All the classic notes. Peat smoke and sulfur. Campfire smoke and iodine. Ammonia. Band-aid. Brine and sea salt. Very prominent tennis ball aroma—it's like opening a brand new tube of balls. Black bean, red pepper, and chili. Lemon and lime citrus. Sugar cookie. Spearmint. Vanilla custard. Hazelnut. Cinnamon and black pepper. Palate: Again, strong notes of black bean, red pepper, and chili. Red hot tamales. Vanilla custard. Salted caramel and peanut butter. Butterscotch. Ballpark soft pretzel. Hookah smoke and iodine. The campfire smoke is also quite noticeable here. Hints of banana walnut muffin. Cinnamon and black pepper. Finish: Rich dark chocolate. Saltwater taffy. Ballpark pretzel. Sugar cookie and butterscotch. Spearmint. Black bean, red pepper, and chili. Hazelnut. Moderately long. Smoke, brine, iodine, and band-aid. Moderate length. This is a success. The interaction between the profile and the cask is excellent. It's incredibly diverse in its flavor profile, ranging from Islay funk, brine, and smoke to orchard fruit and confectionary sweetness. It's a truly enjoyable whisky. The concept is very straightforward. Despite lacking an age statement, this significantly outperforms the Lagavulin 11 Charred Cask, which is likely the closest comparison. At $96, this is about as close to the manufacturer's suggested retail price as I could find. It's well worth the cost in my opinion. I should not overlook this line going forward. While it might be the least consistent of the major Islay limited release lines, there are exceptional finds in the Ardbeg lineup like this one that are unmissable. 4.75/5.

This bottling seems like a late entry into the Game of Thrones marketing trend, with Ardbeg's marketing team promoting the simple concept of Drogon the dragon scorching barrels. I suppose the idea is that after Daenerys Targaryen departs with her dragon Drogon, they land in Islay, and Drogon chars barrels for Ardbeg instead of incinerating King's Landing. So, how does whisky aged in dragon-charred barrels influence the taste? Thankfully, someone provided me with a sample to discover this. The aroma begins with a moderate peat smoke and a freshly cut vanilla bean, followed by subtle orchard fruits (pears, peaches, apples), then chocolate nibs and spices like ginger, lemongrass, and fresh bandages, with a slight ethanol burn. The palate has a thin texture, starting with citrus notes of orange, charred lemon, and grapefruit, followed by light vanilla pudding with campfire ash, then spices of ginger, lemongrass, and moderately tannic oak, with a light ethanol burn that finishes quickly with campfire ash, chocolate nibs, soft fruits like peaches, mangos, and papaya, and lingering tannic oak. This is actually quite mediocre and thin, to the point where the flavors seem diluted, making them hard to discern beyond peat and wood. The nose is light and pleasant, but upon tasting, the mid-palate shifts to a combination of campfire ash and tannic oak that persists through the finish. It essentially tastes like King's Landing that has been scorched by Drogon in liquid form, with some fruit mixed in. If you're curious how this compares to other Ardbeg whiskies, I've tried them all, and this one doesn't come close to competing with any of them, not even the cheapest Wee Beastie, which costs under $50. Wee Beastie has a thicker mouthfeel, more flavors, and a longer finish. So, if you're considering buying an Ardbeg, my advice is to skip this one, costing over $120, and opt for anything in their core range.

This is the best release since Kelpie or Dark Cove. Since Ardbeg shifted from saline expressions to sweeter profiles, their limited editions for Fest of Islay have been quite good, particularly for NAS whisky. The saline ones were also enjoyable, though. While this isn't on the saline side, I believe it's the best one yet. I'm unsure if this marks a successful final effort from Mickey Heads or if the new team is demonstrating their potential, but this bottling is a success. The nose unequivocally starts with Ardbeg smoke. It's then followed by an almost Laphroaig medicinal note, which is immediately replaced by ripe strawberries and raspberries. Heavy, syrupy malt notes then emerge, with citrus zest, typical of all Ardbegs, hiding in the background. The palate offers sweet smoke, those sweet berry fruit notes, and a light peach undertone. Vanilla bean and vanilla cream then become prominent, a result of the wood sugars from heavily charred barrels. Finally, you're left with subtle wood and sweet smoke notes. The finish brings a creeping peppery note with sweet smoke and wood, along with some lingering vanilla sweetness and a mint aftertaste. Adding water actually diminishes the berries, sweetness, and reduces the smoke on the nose. The medicinal note becomes more pronounced, taking on a Campbeltown industrial character; the malt is more noticeable, and an alcoholic note appears due to the lack of other elements. The palate with water retains the sweetness but resembles a sweet-tart candy, and the vanilla cream persists due to the oils. The peppery note intensifies with water, and the mint notes are present at the end of the palate, continuing with the wood and pepper through the finish. As is, it was sweeter and had more depth; with water, it becomes harsher and more like a sweet Campbeltown. Imagine Kilkarren mixed with Tobermory and then just drink it neat.

Served neat. First pour from the bottle. On the nose, the sweetness immediately grabs my attention. Everything around the peat is very sweet. The peat is a delightful campfire, with added pine cones and fresh wood. The sweetness is brighter than I anticipated. It's like vanilla royal icing atop vanilla ice cream. The fruit is present again and it's also bright. Lemon and lemon zest. Adjacent to the peat is a pleasant layer of oak that balances the entire experience. Lovely creamy mouthfeel. Right away, it's just very, very bright and sweet. Like a lemon-flavored sugar candy. Bright sweetness dominates the mid-palate with all that vanilla. The lemon transforms into more of an orange. The peat is less intense than I expected, lingering like a thin mist. The finish introduces a pleasant layer of spice. Pepper and clove. As I become more accustomed to it, it becomes less bright and the vanilla is less intense. I'd compare it to tasting the exterior of a honey-baked ham with cloves that was perhaps overcooked or baked at too high a temperature, resulting in some char. Quite delicious. It wasn't the experience I anticipated based on the name and packaging. I expected it to be more intense. This is one to savor slowly. After 30 minutes, it truly started to evolve, revealing additional delightful layers that weren't initially apparent. No regrets about spending $130 on this.