Anyone who knows me, or follows my reviews, realizes that I am a big fan of peated Scotch. I love all things from Islay, Ardbeg included. Some people have complained that I am a card-carrying member of the “cult of Ardbeg.” A few years ago. I reviewed the core line all at once (technically just 4 of the 5 as I couldn’t find An Oa at that time). I frequently have some Ardbeg on my shelf in addition to other peated Scotch.
All that being said, Ardbeg is typically one of the harder Scotches for me to review and recommend. You frequently hear complaints from people about the medicinal aspects of peated Scotch and the general smokiness. Ardbeg tends to be a more earthy peat, but the smokiness frequently comes across as ash. This tends to be a bit off-putting for many new drinkers, but Ardbeg veterans come to appreciate that dry smoke character.
One other issue we see with Ardbeg is that its limited release offerings tend to be difficult to find. I have never been lucky enough to find one of these releases. So I am very excited to see what Ardbeg has in store for us today.
This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by Ardbeg Distillery. This did not influence the final outcome of this review in any way.
Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale
Class: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price: $175
Notes:
- 13 years old
- Distilled, matured and bottled in Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
- Aged in Sauternes wine casks and ex-bourbon casks
- Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof)
- Non chill-filtered
Nose: 88/100
Peat and vanilla lead the way. Pear and apricot sit in the background. Brine can be found at the edges.
Palate: 86/100
Brine and peat greet you immediately. Ashy char joins quickly. Pear and apricot lightly coat the tongue, but never overpower the peat and brine. Sweet, salty, and rich.
Finish: 84/100
Ash, brine, and oak come to the fore. Peat and ash linger for a long time in this traditional Ardbeg finish. Just a touch of warmth.
Overall: 86/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
This is an interesting Scotch for me. I actually really enjoyed drinking this, but breaking this down in a tasting leaves it slightly lacking. The aroma is wonderful and definitely the most complete part of the tasting experience. The ash does get a bit overpowering at times, which will turn off those that are not Ardbeg lovers. The price, and likely availability, are the real reasons for this type of recommendation. Given a limited edition, this will be very difficult to find. At this price, you can probably find better Scotch, but admittedly, this is very good.
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan
Class: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Price: $350
Notes:
- Batch 5
- 19 years old
- Distilled, matured and bottled in Port Ellen, Islay, Scotland
- Aged in Oloroso sherry casks and ex-bourbon casks
- Bottled at 46.2% ABV (92.4 proof)
- Non chill-filtered
Nose: 84/100
Very light and subtle. A touch of smoke and dark chocolate are the most obvious. Earthy peat lies in the background. After some time in the glass, honey fights for attention.
Palate: 88/100
Sweet and rich. Honey and peat lead. Brine quickly follows. Dark chocolate sits far beneath. Delicate in some ways with the brash of the brine and peat. Just a touch of barbecue meat lingers.
Finish: 88/100
Honey and peat lead again. Peat lingers along with a light smokiness. Dark chocolate lies in the background. Long and warming finish.
Overall: 87/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
This is another very good Scotch that suffers due to price and availability. The price is high, though not outlandish given the age of the Scotch. In the years that Traigh Bhan has been offered, I have never seen it in the wild. It is highly likely this will be very hard to find. All that being said, this is a Scotch lovers drink. Hardcore Ardbeg fans may not love the flavor profile, but given the complexity and the lightness of the peat, it is a more approachable Scotch than most in the Ardbeg line.
What did we learn?
I would say that we learned that Ardbeg makes some very good Scotch, but we knew that already. The Harpy’s Tale is a very traditional Ardbeg profile that a lot of people will love. What we didn’t know was that Ardbeg can make a very good, delicate, and subtle Scotch. If you told me that Traigh Bhan was from Bruichladdich or Glenlivet, I would not have been surprised. However, Ardbeg really did something different and did it very well. The Traigh Bhan batches are definitely something to watch for, even if it is just to try at a bar. The Harpy’s Tale is a great first release in the Ardbeg Anthology, and I am very curious to see what follows.
