Colour
Light Gold
Ardbeg Ten Years Old
Ardbeg Ten Years Old is revered around the world as the peatiest, smokiest, most complex single malt of them all. Yet it does not flaunt the peat; rather it gives way to the natural sweetness of the malt to produce a whisky of perfect balance. Named World Whisky of the Year in 2008.
Non chill-filtered with a strength of 46% ABV.
Aroma
A burst of intense smoky fruit escapes into the atmosphere ? peat infused with zesty lemon and lime, wrapped in waxy dark chocolate. Bold menthol and black pepper slice through the sweet smoke followed by tarry ropes and graphite. Savour the aroma of smoked fish and crispy bacon alongside green bell peppers, baked pineapple and pear juice.
Add water and an oceanic minerality brings a breath of cool, briny seaspray. Waxed lemon and lime follows with coal tar soap, beeswax and herby pine woodlands. Toasted vanilla and sizzling cinnamon simmer with warm hazelnut and almond toffee.
Taste
An explosion of crackling peat sets off millions of flavour explosions: peat effervesces with tangy lemon and lime juice, black pepper pops with sizzling cinnamon-spiced toffee. Then comes a wave of brine infused with smooth buttermilk, ripe bananas and currants. Smoke gradually wells up on the palate bringing a mouthful of warm creamy cappuccino and toasted marshmallows. As the taste lengthens and deepens, dry espresso, liquorice root and tarry smoke develop coating the palate with chewy peat oils.
Finish
The finish goes on and on ? long and smoky with tarry espresso, aniseed, toasted almonds and traces of soft barley and fresh pear.
Other Whiskies
THE WORLDWIDE, WORLD-FAMOUS ARDBEG COMMITTEE
It’s a quirky fact that Islay, with a population of just 3000, has more than 140 Committees. And the biggest one of all? The Ardbeg Committee, with a worldwide membership of over 120,000 and counting.
