I've been sipping Ardbeg 10 for 25 yrs now and I've never encountered such a balanced peated scotch that has many different flavors spinning like 'plates on sticks' and they just all harmonize in perfect balance with each other. It's by far the best value; it's the expertise at Ardbeg that truly stands out in this, their signature and standard release. Long live Ardbeg 10.
I shot a 6 bottle blind with Ardbeg 10 going up against 5 other 10 year old peated scotches. It comes out Friday. One of the hardest videos I have done to date. Very difficult to narrow down a winner. Stay tuned.
Ardbeg 10 was my first “holy crap!” whisky and what started me on my whisk(e)y journey. I always have a bottle of Ardbeg 10 in the collection though I don’t seem to go to it too often.
Now that the temperature is dropping I'll be drinking more peated whisky. It goes well with colder weather. I'm going to revisit bottles I don't reach for very often to figure out why.
Caol Ila was my introduction to peated whiskey too. Then Bowmore further proved that I like peat! Nice review, as usual, Peter. Ardbeg 10 is now on my 'wanted' list.
I still can't believe I like peated whisky as much as I do. There's something about the depth of flavor behind the peat that keeps me wanting more of it.
The Octomore is great! The 14.1, 14.2, and 14.3 are all sitting on the shelf at total wine and more in my area. I close my eyes every time I walk by them. If I don't see them I won't buy them.😜
My introduction to peated whisky was the Arran heavily peated pinot noir cask. From then on I ordered a sample box of Bowmore 12, Caol Ila 12, Finlaggan, Talisker Port Ruighe, Laphroaig and Ardbeg 10. I found the Ardbeg the most enjoyable (although I like the others to). Besides the Ardbeg 10 I currently have the Ledaig Rioja and the Smoky Scot (it's a Caol Ila bottling). The Arran bottling was a limited special release. The Uigedail is on my wishlist.
I can not wait to do a flight fight between Ardbeg 10 (I get Camp fire smoke - like you) and Laphroaig 10 (I get a BBQ smoke)... have done it in the past, but the bottles were not the same level... my first introduction was Laphroaig Reserve, like you, never looked back.
I shot the 6 bottle blind flight last week...I got destroyed guessing the bottles. The video comes out Oct. 27. It was the hardest flight to date choosing the winner.
@@whiskeyisajourney I love Islay mainly. Ardbeg is my favorite but Laphroaig is right there. Port Charlotte is great. Lagavulin especially the Offerman editions. Talisker 10 is good. Really like the Springbank 12 CS also. I can’t do Macallen or Highland Park. They have a funk I can’t get past. I’m in Kentucky and they aren’t big on scotch so it’s hard to find anything here. Oh the Kirkland Islay is great for $37.00.
Great take on a stalwart peated Ardbeg 10 Peter. I grabbed a bottle of Uigeadail followed by a Wee Beastie and Corryvreckan so I was off the 10 year core release the last 2-3 years. I restocked the 10 year old recently for the fall weather. I have to admit though, I love the sherry/peat higher abv combo in Uigeadail. Yet to open Corry so will see how that one stacks up. For me they are all great peated scotches. Cheers Peter!
When I retasted the Ardbegs I was quite surprised that I now prefer the 10 over the Uigeadail. Maybe because it has a straighter profile, maybe because I found some notes beeing a bit odd in the Uigeadail.
I have a peated series going on right now and I am almost at my finals. The Uigeadail and the 10 are going to be part of the finals. It will be interesting to see where they land in comparison to one another.
Love to hear you talk of your first experience with peated scotch, I had a big smile on my face thinking about how similar my experience was to yours 🥃 Cheers my friend!
I am a card-carrying member of the #cultofardbeg. Love the 10, Uigie, and Corry. I've had quite a few of the committee releases and frankly, I like the Uigeadail and Corryvreckan better (Uigie for the sherry, Corry for the bourbon influence).
I fell in love with peated single malts quickly and my starter was Lagavulin 16 (huge sentimental fave!)! Ardbeg Ten is a loved scotch and I regularly go back for a delicious dram! It's in my list of Top 10 favourite peated single malts! UIG and Coreyvbreckan give that amazing hit in a more intense way along with other single malts but this is a consistent amazing beauty! Creyvbreckan is my current all out favourite for an outstanding peated scotch! Terrific video! This is a definite sip for me! Grear thoughts! Thanks so much! Cheers! 🙂
I don't get any iodine off of it. I get a ton of sweetness though. Not as much smoke as I would want, but better than the Lagavulin 16. I get honeysuckle.
I get another smoke note in addition to the ones you mentioned. Particularly on Port Charlotte single malt, I get a sweet or perfumy smoke, like incense.
I 100% agree with your description of type of peat in single malt scotches, I would like to hear your opinion or how would you describe the peated scotches from main land , (highland, speyside, Benriach, Benromach) or even Campbeltown peat, (lochLomond, Glen Scotia, springbank, )
I started my Islay whisky journey with the Lagavulin Distiller's Edition and haven't found anything to supercede it since. That PX cask finish... Heavenly...😋🥃
I have my peated scotch flight coming up soon and it was a tough flight to choose the top bottle. It was also extremely difficult to discuss the notes. The profiles blended together and it was tough to distinguish the difference between any of them.
Nice review Peter. Going to have to crack mine and see for myself now. Have had one sitting on shelf for over a year. My go to is normally Speyside but I do like a solid peated whisky as well with Octomores being my favorite.
@@whiskeyisajourney totally agree with not knowing before Octomore just how great peat can be. I have only had the 13.1 from last year and love it. couldn't find the other two. Found a place with a couple of cases of 13.1 so going to be adding several more when budget allows during 2024. Small out of the way store with cool owner that gives local drinkers a break on price since we buy so much. How do the 13.2 & 13.3 compare?
@@pizzawarlord9232 because I tend to like sherry cask influence I like the 13.2 the most, BUT they are all fantastic and offer slightly different great experiences.
bravo peter for getting all thos enote. I cracked mine last night and had another pour this afternoon. I like it but I get none of the fruit type notes. Newer to peated as not a go to just occasional pours throughout the years. Well until i had an Octomore now i have it more often so perhaps as I grow in peat I will learn more notes. cheers and thanks for inspiring me to open a bottle I have had for a long time on shelf
The 10 and Uigeadail are certainly on the shelves in my library as fixtures. But in all seriousness, you haven't tasted Ardbeg until you have tasted "Lord of The Isles." The end, no further discussion or debate on the topic shall be entered into! ☺
@@whiskeyisajourney When I bought my bottles it wasn’t so bad. About $600. I tasted it at the distillery when on their tour and consequently bought a few bottles. Then bought another couple of bottles a year later in Singapore. That was in 2010. I haven’t seen it since; but then again I haven’t been searching either.
I have all the Ardbeg core range, and the Bizarrebq, I really love them all asking me to pick a favorite is like asking me to pick my favorite kid.... I like the ugi and corry the best I think and I'm always trying to figure out which one is my favorite...I'm going to try mixing them and call it ugireckan and there ya go game over!
Not a fan of the Ardbeg 10 i really want to try the rest of there range though, im a big laphroaig fan but my favourite peat is port charlotte or Octomore (prob give it port charlotte for the price) cheers
@@whiskeyisajourney no first ive heard! cheers! ill def be looking into that, if the price is right ill pick it up. im in the UK so hopefully be readily available. cheers
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I have a 6 bottle flight of 10 year peated bottles coming up very soon. Lets see how the Ardbeg 10 does in a blind. Cheers.
Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release is the best whisky to come out of Ardbeg by a mile in my opinion. Renaissance is effectively 10 cask strength and also worth picking up if you see it. Out of interest, have you tried Corryvreckan? I prefer Uigheadail but its 50:50 among my friends.
@@whiskeyisajourneydefinitely if you can, try the Corryvreckan. It's a beautiful behemoth of a whisky. Side by side with the Uigeadail they're very different but the Corry, even with a high ABV, is an easy sipper
