Ardbeg + Sweet Sherry? | Ardbeg An Oa REVIEW 

Udie Is my favorite. The collection of ardbeg is growing. Love exploring the whiskey world, thank you for your videos.

Loved the dad jokes

This is honestly one of my favorites from Ardbeg. I like to compare it to when your favorite band has been on fire all concert long, and then they pull out a slower and softer tune. You know they have the ability to peel the paint, but everything is controlled and still musical. It's not everyone's favorite song, but it's still part of their quintessential sound and shows off their incredible talent. That's the Ardbeg An Oa.

personally my favorite Ardbeg, especially for the price

Such a slept on release, prefer it to the 10

Only thing An Oa is Gwhisky the best😂

Congrats on the 10k! Your channel is the best for short, relatable and concise reviews with the right amount of silly. No competition! The An Oa has always been on the list, never got around to it though. Great to get an idea what it is like.

Congrats on the 10k!!! 🎉

The dad jokes were awesome. Made me smile and laugh. I’ve got one of these in the bunker. I’ll get to it one of these days.

Great review. I found myself nodding with most things you said. Its simply a sherried Ardbeg which has gone in the other direction to the Uigeadail. Your right, memorable only because its a nice one and not particularly for any stand out attributes, but I find a lot of whisky like that. This is a good easy sipper that I enjoy.

Hey Geoff, first off congrats on a big milestone of 10K subs. Brilliant channel, always entertaining and honest reviews. Keep it going G! Ardbeg, haven't had An Oa but it's Oooooogoodidram for me!

Hi Geoff, very nice review. Congratulations on reaching 10K subscribers, well done and for sure well deserved. Keep on going!

Great stuff Geoff. 10k subscribers. Congratulations!!!!!!!!🎉🎊🎈

It's always fun to watch your reviews my friend! You are ... definitely....unique😁 Congratulations again on the 10K! 🥃👏

Love your reviews. Keep up the good work! Thanks Tab

Another entertaining review! Thanks Geoff

Good timing. This is on special at a local retailer and I was weighing up whether to purchase. Sounds like I’d like it better blended with something a tad more rugged. Recently blended 25% Benromach cask strength into Benromach 10 and that worked a treat. Just need an Ardbeg 10 cask strength to do the same with this one :)

Yeah for 10K ..love the honest and entertaining reviews ….you had me at Arran 10 as best of 2022! ..an awesome dram 👍🏻

Spot on. This is sweet and a bit thin … a friendly version of Ardbeg if I may. A good alternative would be Ailsa Bay, sweet light peat at 48.9%

Great review Geoff, and tho I also prefer the Uigeadail, the AnOa has been a great introduction to many a friend to the peaty and smoky side of scotches. Keep up the great work, cheers from Montreal Geoff.

Congrats on 10K dude 🎉

I love the three Ardbegs I have tried (10, An Oa, and Uigeadail). I can’t say I prefer the latter more than the others but I think I prefer the An Oa more than the 10. I didn’t think I would find a whisky I liked better than the 10, but I think I have. That said, as much as I am enjoying the Uigeadail, I don’t think I would keep it as a regular due to the price point. I don’t normally worry about price point if I really like it since I’m so irresponsible, but to me, it’s not that much better than the An Oa! Nice review.

What a nice start to Thursday morning, thanks dude :-) have a great weekend

Why do we watch? Because we love you, ya goofball😁 oh, and, you do great reviews. Cheers Geoff 🥃

Thank you for the review. I do like the AnOa better than the 10yo, even though it"s a bit less complex. My list of preference would be Corry, Oogie, 5, AnOa and 10yo. I still have to try the 8yo for discussion, wich I haven't cracked open yet.

Dood! Congrats on 10,000! Illuminati here you come! ;)

Okay...So thirty years back, I trialed several peated expressions and trashed both Ardbeg and Laphroaig. I've kept a Laphroaig in my cabinet as an object lesson in peat flavor. After expanding my tastes on my recent whisky journey, I decided that I should retrial Ardbeg to see if my tastes had changed. I picked up the three runt bottle sample pack from Ardbeg called "Monsters of Peat", with Wee Beastie 5, 10, and An Oa. Sampling trashed the first two, but An Oa managed to gain acceptance. I had been told that An Oa was 'Ardbeg with training wheels' and I'd say that was reasonably accurate. So, of all the Ardbeg offerings, An Oa is the only one I can stomach. NOTE: This video has distinct sound/image synchronization problems. I dunno if you can fix, but you might want to try. You look really bad at lip-syncing.

Grats on 10k subscribers. Haven't tried it, but it's too expensive here. Cost 65 €

Hey Geoff! Congrats on reaching 10k subscribers! Haven't had a chance to try the An Oa, but I am curious. This one looks like it will go in my "try before I buy" category since it's way overpriced here at $124 CDN. That's $15 more than the Kilchoman Sanaig and Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak which are hard to beat for the sherry and peat. We must have some of the worst prices for Ardbeg on the planet! 😭 Keep up the great work, cheers 🥃

Hi Geoff. The an oa seems to be generally the least loved of Ardbeg‘s core range but I find it to be a good dram. Have had a couple of bottles and got a closed bottle as well that I bought around two years ago. For me as well the Ugi is also my favourite from the Ardbeg core range Although I haven’t had the corry. As always a throughly enjoyable review and last but not least congrats on 10k, great channel 👍slàinte Geoff 🥃.

An Oa lot of people dis this bottling, so much so that I never bought it; the consensus was that it was not as good as the 10 - hence the lack of purchase. But it doesn't sound as bad as Laphroaig Select - and perhaps could be a good intro to peat for a newbie given the smoothness? Anyways, colour me less prejudiced about this as a result of the review. Keep up the consistent work!

Thanks for reviewing this I-know, Geoff. Up until this day one of my absolute bargain I've ever managed to purchase (a full liter under €28). Regarding the stuff itself and leaving out the price, this is not my favorite core range. I way more prefer the 10yo and the Corryvreckan. That being said, huge congrats on the 10k! (...🤔... so many people with too much time 😂) Slàinte mhath

Better without water. And interesting find to compare it to bbq sauce. I was like ”excuse me?” 😁

I really enjoy the “barbecue “ notes on this one. I enjoy it

tried it a bit too late on my whisky journey but was very pleasantly surprised overall / underrated somehow by the online community / one of my favorite entry level dram in retrospect

I've always loved a big peat, ex-bourbon, sherry combo. Never tried this particular Ardbeg mostly because I've read and watched reviews that don't inspire a purchase. I, too, expect Ardbeg to come with a punch. Uigeadail remains my favorite froom this distillery, and even when it's not firing on all cylinders, it's still good. It's just that when it connects, it's a knockout punch, and that's what we want/expect. I just bought my first bottle of your favorite Klingon expression from Bunnahabhain (toiteach a dha) and will crack it in a week or two. I LOVE the Kilkerran Heavily Peated batches. Also LOVE Ardnamurchan AD/02.22. So, passing on this "tamer" Ardbeg An Oa expression isn't so difficult. Have been looking for a Benromach Contrasts: Peat Smoke Sherry Casks bottle but no luck there. If I remember, you mostly liked that one?

Not a peat fan I understand that many are but I just can’t handle heavy peat flavored scotch. Enjoyed your review. Enjoy!!

Hey terrific review! This is an Ardbeg that I have never had and while I am going to get a bottle when I can find one here in Vancouver (about $110.00 Canadian) I have a good sense of what to expect now! This is all okay and I love exploring whisky so this sounds like I good ride but also a 'precious' side of a ride with this particular Ardbeg that is going to be different than others in the core group! Maybe that sounds weird? I think I have it right?!! I like Ardbeg enough that it's something I want to try but I know I might be taken aback here and there! Your reviews are terrific! I get a lot out of them! What frustrates me with Ardbeg is that the quality goes up and down. I am never quite sure what to expect. It seems the focus has transferred over to the yearly special expressions and sadly away from the core line of Ardbeg expressions. Thanks so much! Cheers! P.S. The video is fine - no issues that I can see!

I’ve been wondering about this one….sounds like a pass for me. Congratulations on 10K subscribers!!!! 🥳

10k! Thats great! You're ready to do stand-up comedy. I might add some an OA to a dram of Uigeadail, if i had an OA. Always looking for the perfect sweet peat. Its shame that the Ardbeg core range is losing its luster. For $100 I dont know how fast I would replace my ugi or cory. On the journey, they are the best, but to actually sip???? There is so much other peat on my shelf and it's all just whisky.

Dad jokes in the vids it’s like sherry on top…of ex-bourbon

I thought I was crazy when I considered this my favorite of the core range..nice to see some others feel the same 😅

My Ardbegggg ))) Mr.Geoff good review , like . Gaumarjos !

This sounds like a good beginner bottle for one looking at a softer entrance into Islay peat smoke. Especially if you’re already a fan of sherry.

Put a dab in my hand and got some sort of wet tobacco leaf/cigar smoke on the nose that delivered on the palate last time I tried this and really enjoyed.

I’ve been strictly a Laphroaig NUT for over 40 years. Been drinking Ardbeg for about a year now so don’t know anything about their inconsistency. I’ve yet to have an Ardbeg that I didn’t like, but absolutely love Wee Beastie & Uigeadail. You summed it up well, I like it, but it’s not a must have (unless it’s really cheap). Found this one at a liquor store and paid $80 for it, I’d buy it all day long for $40.

I bought it on a bit of a discount, though still quite a bit more than your price. I thought it was ok, but tasting a bit youthful. I thought they might be using the sherry and virgin oak to mask some young whisky. It also lacked some of the earthy tones of the Ten. I could see some folks might not go for earthy and prefer the sweetness of Uh, No. 😆

Please don't feel pressured to start telling good jokes because you're a big 10k subscriber famous person now.

Great they didn't baptise it Ardbeg Legacy 😅. Thank you for the video!

I do like An Oa but I must admit that your observations are accurate. An Oa goes for $65 USD here. That’s slightly more than the 10 year, and significantly more than the Wee Beastie. Uigeadail and Cottyvreckan are $90 and $135 respectively here. I gladly pay the $90 for the Uigeadail. It can be spotty, as you said, but generally delicious in my opinion. An Oa is simple. Agreed. However, it’s also an easy dram and tasty. That said, there are other options for $65 that are just as good (if not better). So I don’t generally make a special trip to buy an An Oa. If I want an affordable Ardbeg, I will pick up the 10 year or the Wee Beastie. Both are more what I expect from Ardbeg than what An Oa offers.

I like the Uigeadail. Have you tried the Laphroaig px (I am not crazy about it)? I wonder how it compares to the An Oa.

I'm from Brazil and new to the world of whiskey, I love your channel. I would like a recommendation for a very sweet single malt, thank you.

Concur, this one isn’t for me and is my least preferred of the core range (Corry FTW). Can’t call it a bad buy either, but for the money I’m going Wee Beastie all day. 🥃

What's that maneuver where it looks like you're pulling a long hair out of your throat? 😂 P.S. Congrats on 10K! 👍

Whats the difference between the Ugi, An, and the 10? Cant find a great list of maturation differences

I bought this for my father-in-law when he needed his Lagavulin 16 replaced just after the An Oa came out. I thought I'd be the awesome son-in-law that one upped his sherry islay peat tastes. But you nailed how we felt... it works, but it doesn't make anything wonderful out of the combination of flavours. It's just a shame Lagavulin is everything it is these days.

Let me put it this way, it sits on my shelf at give or take the same level since I first got it. It's not a bad whisky but I never understood the point of it. I tried the non-committee Drum a couple of years ago and I thought that should be a core offering rather than the An Oa as we have sherries Ardbegs but not rum casked ones. Forgettable is the key word for this in my opinion. Cheers Geoff!

I’d be interested to know how it compares to other brands, example Finlaggan Cask Strength, or even the Kilkerran.

Had an opportunity to taste across Ardbeg's core range products this year and found that the An Oa was my least favorite of the flight. For me it didn't present itself nearly as well as the Uigeadail or Corryvreckan. Not necessarily an Oh No, just a So So.

I have a customer who works for Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, and she pays me in Ardbeg...word has it they are going to stop importing the An Oa, not sure if it's the whole of USA or just NC where I'm located...but if you like it you should at least stock up.

Perfect again - I think An Oa is a delicious Ardbeg - which is only in the delicious smoky category. Not a Ten and not too complex. However, there are more and more better choices in the sherry/peat line, so An Oa is disappearing more and more.

Do you reckon that it’s better than the PX laphroig? Thank you

Unfortunately found it at a bargain and purchased two - now trying to find a whisky lover friend whose birthday is upcoming to part ways with it. The Wee Beastie has a lot more character than this... very underwhelming - it just is not integrated enough - seems to ask for some more bourbon fill and a little more time in the cask.

For me, this is what Laphroaig Select is for the Laphroaig core range. Too virgin for me...😂😂😂

Curious to know how you feel this compares to the Talisker DE. You have given them both similar scores.

00:51 😂😂😂😂

In 2020, I bought the Oogie and the An Oa. Loved both. But the most recent Oogie I bought was a big step down. So I'm hesitant to buy a new bottle of this in case it's a letdown too. Not budget friendly enough to risk it I think ($150CAD in my province). An Oa right, what a cheapskate (I'll show myself out...)

There's a reason the 3 times I've had this one were only in sample form..

While watching this video Ardbeg released 47 special releases.

The 5 is also sherried.

Bro... your jokes 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

Sort and sweet is this a Ardbeg 10 serried ? Cheers...

The An Oa is a great value. Prefer it to the 10. Love sherry with peat. Poor man's Ugie!

The weak link in the core range. Only one I don’t buy. But, no, it doesn’t suck.

This is a product that wasted my alcohol budget

Probably my least favorite Ardbeg… Cheers 🥃

Sure, you can make jokes about the "singularly rounded" nature of the whisky, but go ahead and drink a "singularly trapezoidal" whisky and see if you don't scratch the daylights out of your esophagus. Won't be so funny then, will it? 😉 To me, the best example of a whisky where the peat and sherry just don't play well with each other is the Laphroaig PX cask. You could hardly get a whisky that is MORE peaty or more sherried, but it's like the peat and the sherry don't like each other and are living in opposite sides of the bottle. Would I take the whisky you reviewed over the Uigedail? An Oa, but it's pretty good.