Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery
Region: Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
Aging: No Age Statement – finished in virgin oak, ex-bourbon, and PX Sherry casks then combined in French Oak vats
ABV: 46.6% ABV
Proof: 93.2 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Islay Single Malt
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $60
Ardbeg An Oa Tasting Notes
Appearance: Dark Honey
Nose: Peat, smoke, sweet caramel, vanilla, oak, baking spice, leather, candied fruit, apricot, cherry, black pepper
Palate: Peat, smoke, leather, caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, spice, black pepper, cereal grain maltiness, light fruits, citrus
Finish: Medium finish with a slight heat and an oily mouthfeel – leaves you with a mix of sweetness, fruit, and pepper spice mixed on top of the classic Ardbeg peat and smokiness
Is Ardbeg An Oa an Approachable Whisky?
Ardbeg An Oa packs a bit of a punch.
It is heavy on the peat and smoke, with a more earthy flavor profile than some other Ardbeg offerings.
This isn’t a whisky for beginners.
Is Ardbeg An Oa Complex?
Ardbeg An Oa has a few layers of complexity in flavor.
It starts out with Ardbeg’s classic peat and smoke flavor profile.
But since this bottle is finished in ex-bourbon casks it offers an additional layer of caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak flavors.
Throw in the PX casks on top of that and you have a third layer of dark fruits.
The finish has a little heat on it but the pepper spice flavors are a contributor to that.
Overall, the pour has depth, it’s just not my favorite combination of flavors in an Ardbeg bottle.
One of my favorite aspects of Ardbeg is that it always reminds me of sitting around a campfire with grilled steaks, smoked meats, and homemade beef jerky on the grill.
This bottle strips away a bit of that layer of flavor and fills it with dark fruits and toasted oak, vanilla, and caramel that just don’t seem to mesh as well as other Ardbeg bottles.
What are Ardbeg An Oa’s strongest attributes/flavors?
Ardbeg An Oa feels like it is trying to add additional layers of flavor onto the traditional Ardbeg flavor profile and just added a tiny bit too much to the mix.
Is Ardbeg An Oa a go-to whisky?
While Ardbeg An Oa tasted pretty good, I’d probably prefer a bottle of the Ardbeg 10 Year over this one.
Ardbeg 10 Year I could drink as a daily sipper and never get sick of it for the same price point.
Is Ardbeg An Oa priced accurately to its quality?
Ardbeg An Oa is priced the same as the Ardbeg 10 Year and I prefer the flavor balance in the 10 Year to this bottle.
I wish Ardbeg An Oa were a $45 bottle and I would recommend it more easily.
Conclusion for Ardbeg An Oa
While Ardbeg An Oa tastes quite good on the scale of Scotch Whisky, it just doesn’t live up to the other exceptional products Ardbeg offers at a similar price point and even more pricey bottles.
I feel as though An Oa is an experiment to branch into the American market by advertising with a Barbeque Cooker box and flash marketing material (like in my photo).
All-in-all at the same price point, I would suggest buying a bottle of Ardbeg 10 Year.
If you’re able to afford $30 more, I’d highly recommend going with a bottle of Ardbeg Corryvreckan or Ardbeg Uigeadail which are exceptional whiskeys and two of my favorite peaty Scotches.
Let Us Know What You Think
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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