*Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength. Original Photo Credit: LVMH & Ardbeg.*

On the heels of retasting the Ardbeg 10 Year Old, Ardbeg Corryvreckan, and Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old, here is my review of the newly released Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength.

If you’re not a fan of long chats, the TL;DR is that this is fantastic and an easy buy for the price and quality, earning a Whiskey Ring gold medal.

Let’s dive in a little more.

For the purposes of this review, there are really two comparisons to be made: the Ardbeg 10 Year Old core product and the Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which before the Cask Strength was the highest proof regularly available to consumers.

The punch-up to cask strength from the core 10 Year Old is significant: 92 -> 123.4 is no small jump. The price difference isn’t huge, either, going up to $89.99, still below the $10/year Scotch index even if it weren’t cask strength. True, Ardbeg can get away with this pricing due to scale, but it’s not a knock against them.

The flavors are faithful to the core 10 Year Old, too, with the Cask Strength amping the dark chocolate and earthy character. The proof is far from overpowering; it was my first pour of the night and I had no issue acclimating. In every way, you can see the through-line from one version to another, with the ex-bourbon cask maturation allowing the malt and peat to shine.

So what about the Corryvreckan? It’s not a 1:1 comparison, since the Corry has French Oak involved and is a slightly lower proof. As such, the 10 Year Old Cask Strength carries none of the fruit notes I found in the Corryvreckan and is not as baking spice-heavy, but then again, it’s not supposed to be.

So why does this release narrowly beat out the Corryvreckan in my ratings? It’s damn close, but it came down to my interpretation of the purpose. Both products fulfill their stated intentionality and both are objectively fantastic pours. Since I don’t consider price in my ratings, that’s moot, though you may want to consider that the 10 Year Old Cask Strength is $20 cheaper and 10 proof points higher.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan is meant to explore how you could expand the Ardbeg profile through cask usage other than the “regular” ex-bourbon, and it does that. Subjectively, though, I give the nod to the Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength because it is the truest expression of Ardbeg’s single malt as the majority of consumers would experience it. This admittedly is splitting hairs, and I didn’t anticipate the scores being this close (honestly I didn’t look at the Corryvreckan rating before doing this tasting), and I welcome arguments against and in support of it.

But for another TL;DR: a cask strength, intensely flavorful Scotch Single Malt Whiskey at 10 years old and under $10/year ($89.99) always deserves a look. I’m grateful for the opportunity to taste this and seek out a bottle as a consumer.

Slainte!

Thank you to Ardbeg and Baddish Group for supplying this sample for review. All opinions are my own.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Specs

Classification: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Producer: Ardbeg Distillery

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Proof: 123.4º (61.7% ABV)

Age: 10 Years Old

Location: Scotland

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Price: $89.99

Official Website

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Tasting Notes

Eye: Pale barley. Medium weeping rims, thin legs and tiny droplets.

Nose: Earthen, dark chocolate bitterness and ashes in a cold fire pit. Strong flavor but not overpowering. Hints of seaside without being salty, becoming a hallmark of Ardbeg for me. Smoked kippers and au poivre sauce emerge.

Palate: Ashy lemon on a grill, proof hits the front third of my tongue in a controlled blaze for 1200. Smoked whitefish on slightly burnt bread, like pumpernickel or a Nordic style rye bread. Coating, moderate astringency that amps up the dark chocolate and lemon. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, an adult (read: boozy) dirt cup that goes down the center of my tongue.

Finish: Flash of heat and black pepper hits late, bringing the au poivre back around. Lays on the upper palate, unsweetened chocolate. Medium-to-long finish, ashy chocolate.

Overall: Oddly, I think if this had some of the west coast of Islay maritime notes, it would be an all-time pour, the way that adding a little salt to a brownie or chocolate chip cookie makes it next-level (and that you can charge $10 instead of $3). I can’t fault that, though, since that’s stylistic of the distillery and not of one particular release. This remains truly excellent. The extra age and proof opens flavor, not just for the sake of higher proof. This will no doubt compete with the Corryvreckan given the proof, but it’s higher enough in age and proof to justify the buy.