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Ardbeg 10 Year Old

Not my cup of... Jodium

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@NickVerstijlenReview by @NickVerstijlen

20th Jan 2013

0

Ardbeg 10 Year Old
  • Nose
    9
  • Taste
    11
  • Finish
    10
  • Balance
    10
  • Overall
    40

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I just've started my journey into the wonderous world of whisky. The better whiskies that is. The whiskies that I'm known with, are Vat 69, Glennfiddisch 12 y.o., Jack Daniels, Johnny Walker Green Label and I recently purchased the very nice Auchentoshan Three Wood, which I really enjoy. But since I only have the Three Wood in my cabinet, I decided to go to my local whiskyshop, to purchase the Ardbeg 10 y.o. because of the fantastic reviews it gets on Whisky Connosr, and I wanted to try something different besides the Three Wood.

And boy, do I regret my purchase. Let me tell you why:

The Nose: This is where it started. When I poured myself a glass, the aroma of bandaids, jodium, medicinal stuff entered my nose. And shivres ran across my spine. I absolutely don't like this welcome-commitee. But when I got used to the smell, I started to smell things like thick black smoke, and burned wood. Also not very pleasant to me.

The Pallet: All those things I just mentioned, came back with a vengeance. The very high peat-levels in this whisky is something you love or you hate. Maybe it is something you must learn to drink, and something I can enjoy when I am a somewhat more experienced whisky-lover, but for now I found it to be an awfull taste.

The finish: This was actually pretty long. And when the medicinal taste was gone, it started to taste somewhat like when you have smoked a cigarette. But since I don't smoke (have tried it a couple of times in the past when I was younger) this definitely wasn't my cup of tea either.

I am going to keep this bottle in my cabinet untill the day comes, when I can appreciate a highly peated whisky like this one. For now, my search for great whiskies I love continues...

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4 comments

@Donski
Donski commented

i think this is the first negative review of ardbeg 10 i have seen, but i do believe if you try it again after some more experience with peated malts you may enjoy it a bit more

11 years ago 0

@NickVerstijlen
NickVerstijlen commented

I will keep the bottle to try it again after some time. When I've gotten used to the heavy peated kind of whisky. When that day has come, I will review it again, and we will see if my taste has changed... ;-)

11 years ago 0

@YakLord
YakLord commented

Trust me, @NickVerstijlen, you're not the only who feels this way: the Ardbeg 10 is also too aggressively smokey for me. The morning after, all I could taste was smoke and ash; it wasn't good. And it isn't that I need more experience with peated malts, as I find the Laphroaig QC, Lagavulin 16, and Compass Box Peat Monster far more balanced and nuanced than the Ardbeg.

11 years ago 0

LittleJohn commented

The Ardbeg 10 needs water to soften the stronger flavor notes and to allow all of its complexity and a pleasant sweetness to come through. More than any other whisky I've tried, it really does improve with just a bit of water. Try that and see for yourself.

11 years ago 0