An Oa whisky by Ardbeg takes its name from a rocky area in the southwest of Islay. He joined, in 2017, the core range of Ardbeg, a core range that didn’t change for nearly 10 years.
The recipe of this whisky is based on a blend of seven different casks: highly carbonized virgin oak barrels, Pedro Ximénez casks and first fill bourbon casks for the most important part of this blend. These were married in a large french oak vat.
Nose: Freshness and a certain sweetness. Usually, when you drink an Ardbeg, people who enter the room feel it directly, but here the smoke is less “invasive”. Honeyed and lemony.
Mouth: As for the nose, a unusual sweetness. Some chocolate and spices, with some pepper. And… Smoke, of course.
Finish: A little bit too short, usually you keep an Ardbeg in mouth for a longer time. Still smoke and pepper..
Note: 81/100
It is an Ardbeg, for sure, but I find it less characteristic than all the others that I’ve tasted so far. When I drink an Ardbeg, I want a “real” Ardbeg that brings me immediatly right to the sea just near a brazier… Here, I’m less traveling than with a Corryvreckan that I prefer, for sure. Not bad, far from it (and it’s still a good whisky for that price – 45€), but a little too “light” for my taste.
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