Food & Drink

Review: Ardbeg Scorch

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Ardbeg’s newest Committee Launch is Scorch, a bottling made by growing older the whiskey in ultra-charred “alligator” casks (all ex-bourbon barrels). No age assertion, which is typical. Reviewed right here is the cask power Committee Version of the discharge; the Commonplace Version is bottled on the standard 92 proof.

From the nostril, the title appears totally apt. It’s aggressively smoky and ashy, with notes of contemporary asphalt balanced ever so barely by some pink pepper warmth. Ardbeg is just not a spirit that one tends to odor and say, “Hey, this might actually use extra smokiness,” and I discovered the whisky saved me at arm’s size, its overbearing ashiness inflicting it to overlook out on among the magic present in traditional Ardbeg bottlings.

The palate stunned me as being a bit on the skinny facet, notes of burnt butter and smoked fish ultimately rising. Right here the whisky cuts a reasonably conventional Islay profile, although once more it’s fairly blunt and aggressively peaty-smoky. Hints of orange peel and lemon happily brighten up the end, however you’ll want a while in glass to disclose them.

Whereas the whisky manages to open up over time in glass — give it a very good hour when you can — the top consequence nonetheless struck me as surprisingly plain, the titular “scorchiness” in the end exhibiting itself totally on the nostril, and probably not in essentially the most partaking of lights. In case you’re a kind of Islay drinkers that suppose there’s no such factor as a too smoky Scotch, then have it. That mentioned, I’d possible refer you to a bottle of Supernova or Octomore over Scorch.

103.4 proof.

B / $180 / ardbeg.com [BUY IT NOW FROM DRIZLY] [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS]

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Ardbeg Scorch

$180

Score

8.0/10

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