It’s been a long time since I sat down on a weekday evening to simply sample a dram of whiskey and write about it. Even now, after the photos have been taken and the composite constructed, I am feeling a kind of “return to form”, or at least the greeting of an old familiar friend that’s been gone while lives continued to advance. It’s not as difficult as I might have imagined to tease out the complexities of the whisky, but therein the spelling lies the truth: Scotch is just a different fucking beast entirely.
So let’s dig in to the good stuff, have a little fun and remember there’s work in the morning. It’s nice to be beyond the chaos or wedding planning, honeymoons and summer farming. As the chores wrap up and the snow begins to settle atop the hillsides and mountain tops, I indulge in the cozier hobbies of the year, still set to freeze my ass off fishing every weekend but that’s for later, this is for now. Cheers.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Ardbeg Distillery
Islay, Scotland
$49
Nose - Highly dependent on how long it’s been allowed to oxidize; green, grassy peat notes and very subtle, almost forgettable brine plays a minor role as a background character. Pepper, smoke, and elderberries come to mind. As the glass sits uncovered, these notes fade quickly and become rather dull.
Palate - Quite green, with black peppercorns, barley malt, and a brisk fruity note like white grapes that matures into the finish.
Finish - Quite warm and sharp, the full bodied grape becomes a bit of a burning fire as it sits in the chest, with light bristles of heat like a very weak, almost teasing stinging nettle brushes against your tongue. It is not offensive, but intriguing.
Thoughts - I love Ardbeg, and I LOVE big, peaty, smoky scotches that have a lot to offer. Ardbeg has gotten away with something quite clever here: An affordably priced bottle that opens the door to enthusiasts looking to taste a real Islay or even just a smoky whiskey without having to drop money on a typically first-bought Johnny Black, or regrettably purchased J Red.
The depth is quite lacking, to be expected from the 5-year mark, but is quite indulgent given the meager 2-year difference between some of our favorite bourbons or American Single Malts. Leave it to the Islay Scots to do whisky the right way, and this bottle is no exception. I like it, and I’ve been wanting to try it for quite some time. It’s nowhere near the best experiece out of a scotch you can find, and it pales in comparrison to the complexity of it’s big brother and his cousins around the region, but it’s a very enjoyable vesche nontheless that leaves a lot of room for further exploration. I would keep the Wee Beastie on hand in a well-stocked whiskey hall as an introductory dram to an Islay flight.
7/10 - Sacrifices complexity of barrel age for affordability and friendly demeanor.