The Basics:

Character: Smoky, maritime and surprisingly…Mexican?

Score: 94/100

The details:

I try to mix it up with my reviews; review some obscure stuff that you’ll only be able to dig up at auction, if even there, and review some stuff that you can find almost anywhere whisky is sold, and typically at a reasonable price. Ardbeg’s 5 year old core expression, dubbed “Wee Beastie” falls very much in the latter category: you should be able to find it pretty much anywhere.

Ardbeg, founded in 1815 by the MacDougal family, has been through more than its share of ups and downs over the years. Things reached a nadir in 1996 when the distillery was closed, apparently for good, by then owner Allied Distillers. Rescue came in the form of Glenmorangie Plc, owners of the eponymous distillery in the northern Highlands. Perhaps they had an early sense of the incredible popularity of heavily peated whiskies while most others in the industry were going light and lighter?

In any event, Glenmorangie, now in the hands of French luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, brought Ardbeg roaring back to health and cult status. My suspicion is that the launch of Wee Beastie likely has something to do with the pressures on older stocks from the distillery’s renaissance, but whatever the reason, it works: if you like peat, you’re going to get the most intense peat and smoke flavors from a young whisky and/or relatively unobtrusive casks, and that’s the happy story here. 

In fact, reviewing my scores for Ardbegs, I find myself surprised to see Wee Beastie scoring higher than the flagship of the core range, the 10 year old. Maybe I was just in a very generous mood that day, but even if that was the case, the whisky is still truly excellent (like most of the core Ardbeg range), at least assuming you like peat and smoke. Weirdly, in addition to lime notes that I often detect in Ardbegs, I get a lot of notes of al pastor tacos, grilled pineapple, and of course Mezcal, which means that to me, this cracking young Ardbeg has a significant “south of the border” vibe, even without resorting to tricks like finishing in ex-tequila casks and similar weirdness.

Bottling info

Tasting notes:

Nose: Smoky, tarry and briney. Burned leather. Tarred rope. Cocktail olives in brine. Al pastor tacos. Grilled pineapple. Freshly sliced lime. Mexican street food on a Scottish fishing wharf.

Body: Medium to full with a briney texture.

Palate: We’re still in Mexico eating al pastor tacos with grilled pineapple and lime juice, sipping on Mezcal. Vibrant. Citric and fruity, but also smoky, very savory, and a little salty. There’s also the Ardbeg ashy soot in the mix. A deft combination of savory notes, tropical and citrus fruit, and smoke.

Finish: Short to medium, smoke and ash dominate.

Score: 94/100

Who should buy it?: This is a buy for anyone who likes unadulterated peat smoke. Vibrant, characterful, and delicious, all at a reasonable price point.

Overall thoughts: A really fun whisky.

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