Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery
Region: Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
Aging: 5 Years and finished in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry casks
ABV: 47.4% ABV
Proof: 94.8 Proof
Mash Bill: 100% Islay Single Malt
Non-Chill Filtered: Yes
MSRP Price: $50
Ardbeg Wee Beastie – 5 Year Old Tasting Notes
Appearance: Honey
Nose: Peat, smoke, corn sugar, briny salt water, vanilla, light fruits,
Palate: Salty, peat, smoke, light fruits, citrus, pear, apricot, apple, earthy
Finish: Medium finish with quite a bit of heat for being just under 95-proof – leaves you with salt, peat, pepper spice on the palate with an underlying layer of light fruits and earthy notes
Is Ardbeg Wee Beastie an Approachable Whisky?
Ardbeg Wee Beastie is not a very approachable whisky.
I understand that they were probably trying to come out with a competitively priced lower-tier option to their lineup, but Ardbeg Wee Beastie kind of feels like the Ardbeg bastard child.
I’m not quite sure what they were going for with this one, but it just doesn’t stack up for me.
Is Ardbeg Wee Beastie Complex?
Ardbeg Wee Beastie has the usual peat and smoke flavor profile I know and love from Ardbeg, but for some reason, it is smothered with salty, briny, and almost seemingly artificial flavors that just don’t really remind me of the rest of the Ardbeg bottles.
On the nose, the first thing that threw me off was a smell that reminded me of cheap corn bourbon.
It’s like a buttered popcorn type of smell that just didn’t jive with my senses.
The palate is a little better and seems less artificially flavored to me, so I’m not quite sure what it is on the nose that threw me off.
The palate is what you would expect from a low-tier peated bourbon, but it just doesn’t deliver.
The finish is hot and leaves me with a mouthfeel I don’t want to be experiencing for long.
Is Ardbeg Wee Beastie priced accurately to its quality?
Ardbeg Wee Beastie does not deliver on its price tag.
There are better peaty Scotches on the market for this price range like The Big Peat which are much better balanced and an excellent purchase if you’re looking for Scotch on a budget.
That being said, I love every other bottle of Ardbeg and would recommend you upgrade and spend a little more money to purchase one of the best Peated Scotches on the market.
For just $15 more, you can get Ardbeg 10 Year which is a lovely pour.
And if you’re willing to spring for the next tier up above the Ardbeg 10 Year, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail are two of my favorite Peated Scotch Whiskeys, and do not disappoint.
Conclusion for Ardbeg Wee Beastie – 5 Year Old
I’m a huge fan of Ardbeg.
When it comes to peated Scotch, they are one of my go-to whiskeys.
So when I saw a cheap Ardbeg option, I was pretty excited to try this one out.
To say the least, I will be sticking with Ardbeg 10 Year as my low-tier Ardbeg and will not being going for budget Ardbeg again any time soon.
As mentioned earlier in this review, Ardbeg almost always delivers on every other one of their bottles.
This is the first bottle I have not been happy with the purchase, so if you want the true Ardbeg experience, just cough up the extra $15 and buy yourself a bottle of Ardbeg 10 Year.
If you’ve tried this bottle, I would absolutely like to hear your thoughts about it – good or bad.
It’s rare for me to be turned off on a bottle from a brand that I almost always love, so I’m hoping maybe it’s just my bottle that had a weird funk to it.
Let Us Know What You Think
I hope you enjoyed this tasting experience with me.
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Thanks for reading and cheers!
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