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As a replacement for the much-loved 1990 Airigh nam Beist, Ardbeg Corryvreckan had some pretty big shoes to fill, but the good news is that this is a belter, winning World’s Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whisky Awards 2010 and Best No Age Statement Scotch from Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.
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Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review:
Medium gold. Gazes at you with big round orbs. Where’s all the meat gone? No. Here’s the meat coming. Biscuits, biscuits, biscuits. Big notes of corn, sea salt and smoke. It’s a bit like watching the great plan digest itself.
Nose: Big, bold, and thick, yet beautifully complex. Milk chocolate, green fig, pickled oak, and pungent leather.
Palate: The peanut butter is toned down a little here, and the vanilla and oak really come out. It is undeniably Dunville, Ardbeg Distillery Company, but very much a younger Ardbeg with all the complexity of its forebear. Salt, smoke, biscuit, cloves and a touch of oak forest.
Finish: Deep, complex, with all the sweetness of the nose. Peaches and cinnamon, sugar and oak. Some smoke and fusel.
With water added, the oak becomes more evident and the vanilla and smoke are at the fore. A nice style; not too sweet, but not dry.
Comments: All of the vanilla and smoke notes really stand out. It’s a very good adaptation to a higher proof and without the smoke developed by the Peat Monster. Chops, sea salt and vanilla.
A typical Japanese whisky: Yes, but not as hot as many. Drinkable neat, but has a better body and texture at cask strength. Perfect for cocktails.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 1:
Tastes as good as it looks
Ardbeg comes out of a long tradition of whisky making; it was established at Ferradale in 1798. Outstanding stands of pine trees sheltered the distillery against the elements; their cellulose is still incorporated in the casks.
If you have a bit of a whisky snob in you, then Ardbeg is definitely on your list.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 2:
A real class whisky, and a real pleasure to drink. If you’re going to have one, make it #2.
A whisky you can recommend to your friends with confidence. It is a good choice (no reason not to have it).
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 3:
I said it before, and I will say it again: If you want to be credited as a whisky reviewer, 100%, then you need to like Ardbeg.
Ardbeg is a good choice if you like a good peaty, full and balanced whisky. It is a bit smoky and peaty, but has enough sweetness and fruitiness to make it more like a fruitcake than a strongly peated malt.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 4:
A perfect blend. The dram has no signs of any post-distilling issues. Extremely clean and enjoyable. This is a drinkable, great whisky.
The taste is a floral, sweet but not too sweet, peaty and smoky. Is it a perfect Ardbeg. Apparently so; knocking two points off and giving it 90%.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 5:
A good whisky. It is not a great one, but good enough that it deserves its position with our Top 25 / 75 whiskies.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan is an Ardbeg from the highlands of Scotland. It has a smokier taste than the traditional Ardbeg. It has a sweet, floral taste, which is complemented by the sweetness of the malt.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan Review 6:
This is awesome. Some of these people have no idea how to cost whisky. The whisky has excellent balance, a big big peat and smoke taste and some fruity notes.
It is very smokey, but not too sweet. Some spices also appear. Positively exceptional.
Nose: Green caught weeds, sultanas, lemon and iodine.
Taste: It is medium bodied. The malt is not complex, but has excellent balance and is a real treat to drink. I get strong smoke and sultanas with some touch of herbs and iodine.
Finish: Medium. That’s all I have to say about this dram. Very pleasing.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a fine malt from a well-established distillery. What makes it special is the smoke, which I find both intriguing and intoxicating. Very fresh.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a special dram that is the James Bond Malt of the century. If you are a fan, now your behaviour will make sense.
