Ardbeg 10 Year Old, Ardbeg Wee Beastie, and Ardbeg Corryvreckan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
I’ve said it and I’ll say it again - revisit the classics every few years, especially things you didn’t like or couldn’t handle at first.
Admittedly, I never outright disliked Ardbeg - it was simply an Islay that I wasn’t prepared for. When I tasted it years ago, it was just peat and smoke. It was ok, not medicinal or iodine-heavy, but above my peat tolerance at the time.
Thanks to Ardbeg and the Baddish Group, I had the opportunity to retaste their core range - the Ardbeg 10 Year Old, Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old, and Ardbeg Corryvreckan - with a fresh, more experienced palate. For those of you who started your whisky journey on Ardbeg, bless you…I took however many years to get here.
Ardbeg is one of the oldest legalized distilleries in Scotland and on Islay, being founded in 1798 and growing to commercialization in 1815. Located on the southeast quarter of the island, the name Ardbeg is an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic An Àird Bheag, meaning The Small Promontory.
While many of Islay’s distilleries are known for the hit of salinity from being on a Hebridean island, Ardbeg’s location largely shields it from the Atlantic winds blowing from the west. As you’ll see in my notes below, the maritime tastes are barely there, particularly in comparison to other beasts like Caol Ila. You still get the feeling of being at a beachside barbecue, but the sea spray isn’t blowing your way.
I found myself missing the salt kick at times, like baked goods lacking the little salt you don’t taste but that enhances the flavors. That said, I do think it allowed other flavors to emerge, such as the red fruit and a more specific whitefish note on the 10 Year Old and deeper chocolate and sticky toffee pudding deliciousness on the others. Overall, my favorite was the Ardbeg Corryvreckan - you’ll see why below!
More Information: Among the powerful smoke suffusing the island of Islay, Ardbeg is among the most heavily-peated single malts (if not the most heavily), with most expressions coming in at 50-55 ppm. For comparison, Laphroaig is around 45 ppm, Caol Ila is around 35 ppm, and Bowmore between 25-30 ppm in the core ranges. I’m not counting Bruichladdich’s Octomore lineup, which is regularly above 100 ppm, but is a special, if regular, release.
Peat is variable, and ppm (parts per million) levels are not necessarily indicative of how “powerful” or “smoky/earthy” a whisky will be on your palate. I talked to Mike Billett, author of Peat and Whisky, on episode 174 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast, discussing the wide spectrum of peat. Islay itself, with its 10 active distilleries and multiple more being built or coming online, has huge variance from distillery to distillery. Caol Ila is one of my favorites, briny and oyster shell-forward. I still can’t quite enjoy Laphroaig with its medicinal, iodine, band-aid notes. Bowmore is ashy and can go either way. Octomore (Bruichladdich) is powerful, sure, but even among the three releases put out each year, there’s a noticeable difference (see my article for The Whiskey Reviewer for 2025’s Octomore 16.1, 16.2, and 16.3 reviews).
On the newer side, Kilchoman Distillery (founded in 2005, Episode 187 with James Wills) has two product lines, one using brought-in barley and one using Islay-grown barley on Rockside Farm. The former uses another distillery’s ppm levels and the same peat and barley, the latter is lower at around 20 ppm. Just within a single company, peat influence and flavor profile can be wholly unique from release to release.
I hope you get the opportunity to try these three releases - each, especially the 10 Year Old, should be readily available at any well-stocked bar. Vintage-level Patreon supporters will be tasting this in February.
Slainte!
Thank you to Ardbeg and Baddish Group for supplying these bottles for review. All opinions are my own.
Ardbeg 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Specs
Classification: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Producer: Ardbeg Distillery
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 92º (46% ABV)
Age: 10 Years Old
Location: Scotland
Ardbeg 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Price: $59.99
Ardbeg 10 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Pale hay. Variegated, thin rims, short thin legs and tiny droplets.
Nose: Freshly tarred roads, charred lemons on a grill. Smoky peppercorn sauce on steak. Not overly earthy, particularly for the level of peat in this. No oak or proof. Petrichor does open with some air. Less salinity than I remember for Ardbeg.
Palate: Charred burnt ends, those pieces of meat at the edges that have carbonized. Liquid smoke, lemons on a grill. Sweeter side of barbecue comes out around red fruits and ripe grapefruits, slightly bitter. Smoked whitefish. Mouthfeel is quite textured and coating for 46% ABV, medium bodied, doesn’t dilute on the chew. Oily residue and the whitefish on a burnt bagel.
Finish: Oily and resinous, the fruits turning dried and fading behind the charcoal on a grill. Seaside-evoking with minimal salinity. Medium-long finish.
Overall: My palate has clearly evolved since my last taste of the classic Ardbeg lineup. I like this and can handle the peat levels much better, even the tarry note on the nose. The red fruit under the tarry peat is a lovely brightener, as are the bits of charred meat and smoked fish. I think I miss the hit of salt from the west coast that would brighten this even more, but otherwise this is a classic that I’d happily drink again.
Final Rating: 7.5
Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Specs
Classification: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Producer: Ardbeg Distillery
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 94.8º (47.4% ABV)
Age: 5 Years Old
Location: Scotland
Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Price: $49.99
Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Pale gold. Medium, oily rims, thin legs and tiny teardrops.
Nose: Initial nose is of a white whiskey, the raw grain and enticing roughness of new make fresh off the still. Barbecue beef, fat falling into the flames. Nutty, forest floor scents. More proof pops up the nostrils, hint of preserved lemons.
Palate: Black pepper front to mid-tongue, wonderfully piquant yet sweet at the same time. Classic Ardbeg notes of smoked whitefish, with lime and lemon drizzled around. The oak presence is barely there, but adds a buttery vanilla in the background. Mouthfeel is subtly drying, smoky, not in-your-face. Unsweetened chocolate develops, creamy coating, medium bodied, chocolate shortbreads.
Finish: Raisin dark fruit emerges late alongside date syrup and a smoky sticky toffee pudding with burnt sugar on the edges. Beef and pork drippings on fire reemerge. Long and oily, light peppercorns on the end.
Overall: Might surprise you, but I like this even better than the 10 Year Old. While it’s missing the same fruit up front, it makes up for it late on the palate with the chocolate and sticky toffee pudding notes. More savory, more raw, more food-like in its flavor profile as opposed to the tarry notes. Love the fat-in-the-flames flavor.
Final Rating: 8.0
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Specs
Classification: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Producer: Ardbeg Distillery
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 114.2º (57.1% ABV)
Age: NAS
Location: Scotland
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Price: $109.99
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Tasting Notes
Eye: Straw, hint of green. Very thin rims and legs, tiny droplets.
Nose: Explodes out of the glass. Seaside grilling with the wind blowing away (less salt, the smoke not overwhelming). The smoke and extra proof hit immediately, black pepper on the nose. All the flavors from the Wee Beastie and 10 Year Old up front and in-your-face.
Palate: Buttered popcorn comes out of nowhere, lightly peppered with sweet maple smoke. Settles quickly mid-tongue and grips on. The extra proof amps up the flavors without throwing anything off balance. Turns syrupy and slides to the sides and underside of my tongue. Mouthfeel is oily and a bit drying, extra dark chocolate Raisinettes, like a touch of PX was in the blend. Date syrup emerges late.
Finish: Sweet smoke, more pork fat than beef, dark fruits and seaside feeling without being salty. Long finish over the whole tongue.
Overall: Of the three, this is the one I’d go with. Bright, dark, intense. I forgot it’s peat at a certain point because the flavors are so robust and diverse and clean beyond being simply smoky or earthy. Beautiful.
Final Rating: 8.3
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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