Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 5 years
Abv: 47.4%
Non Chill-filtered
(tasting note from Nov 7, 2020)
Ardbeg, one of the stalwart distilleries on the isle of Islay, producer of one of my very favorite whiskies to date, the Ardbeg 10 year old. This new 5 year old expression is the latest addition to their core line of whiskies. They’ve been applauded for not shying away from boldly stating the “young” five year old nature of this bottling.
Bottle Notes
“A monster of a dram. Young and intensely smokey with a rich explosive mouthfeel of chocolate, tar and savoury meats.
Senses are heightened with each encounter. First comes an intense aroma of cracked black pepper, mingling with sappy pine resin and the sharp tang of smoke. Suddenly the explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. Savoury meats sink into the palate, before the long salty mouth-coating finish slinks away.”
Okay then! Sounds like a feisty dram to be sure, let’s see how it ships.
Nose
Immediately – smouldering, tarry railway ties. Smoke and tar, heavy, greasy creosote ties. Hints of fruit peek through here and there. Peat may be in there, but raw, and rough. The smoke comes and goes in strength, wafting it’s way through the glass. There is a rawness, a harshness of the tar and creosote that never diminishes. Not quite a dirtiness – the edges are crisp and sharp, even with that oily character. With some effort, I can pick out the chocolate the bottle claims.
After repeated returns to the nose, overall I feel a burning, smoldering, smoking creosote oil lamp.
Palate
Strong tar and dirty creosote – overwhelming! Some sweet notes attempt to sooth the tongue. Bursting, strong, fiery. Those sweet fruits do crowd in as the tar fades. Striking and strong, a pleasant burst of fruit, but one that is fleeting.
Finish
Quick at first, but then a lingering, ashy, mouth-coated beast pokes its head up and takes you for a stroll. Cigar ash and fading creosote. The sweet fruit hints a return now and then, but it is faint and fleeting like a nymph on the fens of Scotland. A cigar long since finished, and I crave a brushing of the teeth.
Final Thoughts
It is a heavy dram. Heavy on the nose, the palate, the finish. I feel tired after having finished it! I’ve carried the dirty creosote soaked railway tie down the lane, thrown it on the smoldering fire, and taken a bite of almost-ripe fruit to finish the chore. The ashen finish follows me to the bunk, where I fade to sleep with faint dreams of what could be.
I think there is a heaviness here that is an abrupt departure from the Ardbeg 10, as in, I don’t think this is just an Ardbeg 10 bottled 5 years earlier. But I love the uniqueness, the distinctiveness of it. It’s an awesome bottle to have on the shelf, for that “once in a while” trip down a very different path. I think it’s something I’ll want on my shelf again at some point, but this one has been here a while, and will likely be here for a while longer!
