Review #: 217
Description: Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Here we have the 2020 Ardbeg Limited Edition “Blaaack” which utilizes New Zealand Pinot Noir casks for some amount of maturation. Not much more info is given on the release as this has no age statement. This is the committee release version which is bottled at 50.7% ABV, compared to the standard that is 46%. I am a huge fan of peat and wine maturation so I have high hopes.
Distillery – Ardbeg
Bottler – Ardbeg
Brand – Ardbeg
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50.7%
Age – NAS
Nose – Oh yeah, there’s the Ardbeg ashy/meaty smoke, apples, apricots, little bit of sea salt, cooked pears, lemon zest
Taste – Sweet cream, dessert white wine, caramel, lemon custard, black pepper
Finish – Peat blasts in, dirty ash, slight sulfur, lemon poppyseed bread, sea salt, fairly drying on the tongue
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Yes
Thoughts: This definitely lived up to the expectation. The nose was intoxicating, then the taste was so sweet and creamy before the peat blasted in. A real desserty dram, with the finish playing see-saw with the sweet and savory yet ultimately ends up being balanced. The sulfur and salt are just barely kept in check and add complexity rather than negatively impacting it. I’d definitely go for the committee release as I think it needs the proof point.