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Ardbeg Auriverdes

What Can I Say?

0 985

@SquidgyAshReview by @SquidgyAsh

27th Jun 2014

0

Ardbeg Auriverdes
  • Nose
    22
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    20
  • Balance
    21
  • Overall
    85

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

What can I say?

I love Ardbeg, I mean LOVE Ardbeg. It was my first Islay love and holds a special place in my heart due to that.

Don't get me wrong, I love all the Islay distilleries, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Bruichladdich, Kilchoman, Caol Ila, if it's got big smoke and peat, then I'm a happy man.

But like I said, Ardbeg holds a special spot in my heart.

So it's with great excitement that I look forward to Ardbeg Day every year. Every year on June 1st our whisky friends at Ardbeg make us happy campers by bottling a "special release"

Galileo which was released in 2012 was easily my favorite Ardbeg to date, and worth every single penny.

And then Ardbog came out, a whisky that I'll soon review, a year after it's release now that everyone and their mom have made up their minds regarding it.

And then just 26 days ago, June 1st, Ardbeg released Auriverdes, a special bottling celebrating the upcoming World Cup. The name in Portuguese means Golden (whisky) "Auri" in Green (bottle) "Verdes". Golden whisky in a green bottle.

It's aged in second fill American ex bourbon barrels, with heavy charring on the lids, designed to create a mocha flavor in the whisky.

In theory this release is around 6600 bottles from what I can find online, it was distilled in 2002, which puts it around 11 or 12 years old.

And rounding it all out, it retails for around $200 AUS.

My wife and I recently flew out to Whisky Live in Sydney Australia and while over there I visited quite a few bottleshops who are run by friends and acquaintances. While I was visiting the guys at the World of Whisky, they offered me a dram of the Ardbeg Auriverdes.

Let me at it!

Well first off it's a pale golden color and it's in a green bottle so it fulfills the name requirements right there.

The nose has heaps of vanilla, mocha, chocolate, citrus oranges, a little bit of bbq meat, light peat and smoke.

Seriously is this Ardbeg? It is so very light. Not bad, but not what I expected!

Let's give it a taste and see what happens.

Vanilla again, lots of vanilla, mocha, mangoes and peaches, black pepper and light peat again.

A very soft, but lingering finish with more vanilla and then at the very end the vanilla fades leaving smoke behind.

Well how do I say this?

What the hell....seriously what the hell?!

People are running around losing their heads over this whisky and this, THIS is what they're going nuts for. A whisky that tops out at 12 years max, mild and inoffensive, that runs $200 or so a bottle?!

That's it, I've lost the plot. For the last two years all I hear from the whisky world is people bitching about no age statement whiskies, how they're going to be overpriced and under deliver and yet these same people are running around losing their heads over the newest and greatest Glenmorangie and Ardbeg release?!

I love Ardbeg, I cant stress that enough, and I enjoy Glenmorangie, but I've got to be honest, I'm tired of seeing whiskies that I know, KNOW, are 10 and 12 years old sell for $180 and $200 a bottle. Just because they've got a cool story behind it. I mean people complained about the Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix running at $100 a bottle here in Australia, but these same people have no problem throwing down $200 on a Ardbeg or Glenmorangie?!

Let's bring things back into perspective folks, shall we? No age statement whiskies can ROCK, the forementioned Snow Phoenix, Aberlour Abunadh, Ardbeg Corryvrackin, Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX etc, and I'm happy to throw down some serious cash on them as they can be absolutely brilliant, but what was different from all of those whiskies and this latest release from Ardbeg?

The price point! Most of those whiskies started out selling for $100 or thereabouts, and yes prices did rise over the following years. But they didnt start out selling for $200 a bottle.

Pardon me this rant, it's my birthday and I reckon I can get away with one naughty thing today, and I do expect to be shot and executed for taking this stance, but I for one am not on a boycott of them, but all of these newest Glenmorangies and Ardbegs that are overpriced and selling out in seconds as someone who was paid to gave another one of their whiskies World Best Whisky, well from here on out, I don't think I'll be buying any bottles of these whiskies without sampling them first.

If they're worth it, I'll happily pay every penny, however if it's overpriced mediocre whisky, I'll at least saved myself $200.

Rant off.

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9 comments

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

Happy Birthday!

10 years ago 0

@paddockjudge
paddockjudge commented

Happy Birthday @SquidgyAsh! Nice birthday rant - keep 'em coming buddy. To mark this occasion, I raise a healthy pour of Lagavulin 16 year-old and wish for you good health and much happiness on this special day and for many more yet to come.

10 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@SquidgyAsh.I just read another review from a pretty trustworthy reviewer that gave it 91 and said it was definitely different from other recent special releases,softer and more like ANB. I would really like it if you gave this one another chance and gave us an update if your opinion changes before I pop for it. I agree about the general Trend to rip off prices for mediocre whisky these days, but Ardbeg is usually worth the money. When in doubt the 10 works. Good thorough review, Thanks.

10 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

@Nozinan @Paddockjudge thanks for that guys!! Sorry in the delayed reply, waaaaaaaay to crazy these last few weeks!

@BlueNote Not a problem my friend, I've been on the road a fair bit these last few months and will be in Melbourne next month where I'll have access to a dram of this. I'll retry it there and let you know what I think. I do apologize on the late reply :(

10 years ago 0

@Victor
Victor commented

@SquidgyAsh, I don't think that you are in the minority, nor that you will take much flack, for protesting the pricing and quality of recent NAS releases.

Since you are in the alcoholic beverages industry, I suppose that you almost have to bite the bullet and pay whatever it costs to keep up with developing tasting knowledge of the recent whisky releases. If I lived in Australia I would be a very value-conscious whisky consumer. I also wouldn't have 300 bottles of whisky in my house right now, as I do. Those are some steep prices you have to pay over there.

10 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

@BlueNote I retried this bad boy while I was in Melbourne my friend and I hate to say it, but while it's a good little whisky, it's nothing brilliant, it's not that OOMPH that I expect to see out of an Ardbeg, especially as the price point I'm seeing in Australia.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad whisky, at half the price I'd be thrilled to buy a bottle, but at almost $200 AUS I can think of so many more better whiskies that I'd rather own :( I'm sorry my friend.

10 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@SquidgyAsh. Much appreciated mate, thanks for saving me some serious money. I know you are a big Ardbeg lover and if you tried this one twice and are still lukewarm on it, that's good enough for me. I think I will just stick to the Ten, Uigeadail and Corry, can't go wrong there. Cheers.

10 years ago 0

@MaltActivist
MaltActivist commented

@SquidgyAsh - looks like you and I concur 100% though I haven't given it a second shot. I'm planning on soon, though, for exactly the same reasons. Some close friends (extremely competent whisky geeks) seem to quite like it. I was wondering maybe I was off for some reason.

Interestingly I gave it an 85 as well...

10 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh commented

@MaltActivist Veeeery interesting! What were your thoughts on Ardbog? I found it distinctly lacking as well...

10 years ago 0