Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

"...a nimble touch and a disarming allure. Just close your eyes and enjoy." 97 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2023

Perched on a rocky headland, the Ardbeg distillery was founded in 1815 by the MacDougalls of Ardbeg. The distillery's scattered white-washed buildings are reminiscent of a Dutch settlement and add to the dramatic coastal landscape. Ardbeg has had a chequered history and in recent times had been closed down for many years. Glenmorangie acquired Ardbeg in 1997 and has set about restoring the distillery to its former glory. Despite the turbulence of its past, none of Ardbeg’s qualities have been diminished. All of the time-worn traditions have been carefully preserved and passed on to today’s whisky makers. The Ardbeg 10 Year Old is clear testimony to this. In his 'Complete Book of Whisky' Jim Murray said of it: 'If perfection on the palate exists, this is it.'

Other reviews...n24 more complex, citrus-led and sophisticated than recent bottlings, though the peat is no less but now simply displayed in an even greater elegance; a beautiful sea salt strain to this; t24 gentle oils carry on them a lemon-lime edge, sweetened by barley and a weak solution of golden syrup; the peat is omnipotent, turning up in every crevice and wave, yet never once over-stepping its boundary; f24 stuuningly clean, the oak offers not a bitter trace but rather a vanilla and butterscotch edge to the barley. Again the smoke wafts around in a manner unique in the world of whisky when it comes to sheer elan and adroitness; b25 like when you usually come accross something that goes down so beautifully and with such a nimble touch and disallarming allure, just close your eyes and enjoy... 97 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2013 / 2023

...Last time we tried our beloved Ten it was a circa 2015 bottling, and it was great (WF 89). Colour: white wine. Nose: I have the feeling that Ardbeg Ten got more crystalline, perhaps a tad simpler as well, and probably more distillate-driven than ever before. I’m so glad no obvious vanilla is dumbing it down, and of course no ‘wine’, so this is as bright as possible and full of lime, seawater, smoked salmon, and of these wee tarry/cardboardy touch that are so typically Ardbeg. Shall we call this nose ‘razory’? Mouth: lapsang souchong with lime, smoked almonds, kippers, plasticine, almond oil, whelks, brine, hessian… This is just perfectly perfect. Finish: rather long, smoky, almondy, lime-y, salty. Comments: the month is not over but Ardbeg 10 will possibly be March’s bang-for-your-buck bottling. Because in my little tasting book, Ardbeg 10 is simply back to… 90 points - whiskyfun.com

...the classic Ardbeg bottling, and one of the most heavily peated entry-level whiskies from all of Scotland. Ten years are just about right for taming Ardbeg’s fire, though the nose is still moderately heavy with straight, smoky peat notes, though also lightly briny but distinctly maritime in its tone. The body follows in lockstep, adding to the burning embers of driftwood notes of iodine, orange peel, coriander, and ginger. Beautifully balanced despite the heavy peat influence, it remains one of the most essential Islay whiskies — and an essential whisky that is required drinking for anyone who wants to form a base understanding of single malts. - drinkhacker.com

...Nose: Astoundingly smoky, yet delicate with subtle tarry notes behind. With water the smoke dies a little and raisin and caramelised apple notes emerge. Palate: An immediate waft of peat smoke. Full, robustly flavoured with turf and lapsang souchong tea. Finish: Salty, long and filled with fragrant peat reek. Comment: A punch in the chops from a stroppy Islay middleweight. Flavour-packed yet delicate. Rated: 9/10 - whiskymag.com

Cocktail: The Smoky Martini
This is an unusual combination that works surprisingly well. Some people use less peaty whiskies, however the true Smoky Martini requires the likes of Ardbeg or Laphroaig – Single Malts which lend their peaty, textured flavour to the creamy character of a good vodka.

Method: Rinse a chilled martini glass with Ardbeg Malt Whisky and pour out any extra. Shake 60ml of Premium Vodka in a shaker filled with large ice cubes and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with a lemon and orange twist.