Every year since Ardbeg’s iconic Alligator was created for Ardbeg Day, there has been an annual release. Mickey Heads, the distillery manager at Ardbeg, has been there for every single one but he has now announced his retirement. He will still be there for this year’s Ardbeg day release and we wait with anticipation to see what it is. In the meantime, we rank all of the non committee releases so far in reverse order with classic smoky Ardbeg in mind, so from subtle to smoke bomb.
Ardbeg is smoky by nature, so on a 1 to 20 scale of smoky whiskies Ardbeg starts at 10.
First of all, here is the list in order of release:
2011 – Alligator
2012 – Day
2013 – Ardbog
2014 – Auriverdes
2015 – Perpetuum
2016 - Dark Cove
2017 – Kelpie
2018 – Grooves
2019 – Drum
The Ranking
No.9 Auriverdes
Released in time for the football World Cup in Brazil. Auriverdes means gold and green, which are the colours of the Brazilian flag. Tasting Note: A lighter style of Ardbeg. Easy going sweet vanilla and lemons. There is still smoke, but it is not immediately identifiable as Ardbeg. Muscovado sugar and chocolate appear later in the palate.
ABV: 49.9%
Smoke rating: 10/20
Buy now for £193
No.8 Drum
In the tradition of Ardbeg being an innovator, this whisky is firstly matured in ex bourbon casks, and extra matured in rum casks. Tasting note: Bonfire wood mixed with lots of ripe bananas and pineapples. Spices on the palate with ginger, liquorice and vanilla.
ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 12/20
Last auction Price: £70
No.7 Perpetuum
Created for the 200th anniversary of Ardbeg distillery, this whisky is a mixture of many cask types intended to give great complexity and harmony. Fresh citrus, toffee and figs head up a smoky background. There is a creamy mouthfeel and lots of dark chocolate.
ABV: 47.4%
Smoke rating: 13/20
But it now for £143
No.6 Grooves
Grooves is so named as the casks used were very well charred ex red wine casks which resulted in deep groves on the inside of the cask resulting in a greater surface area for the spirit to interact with. Tasting note: lots of American oak flavours of vanilla, toffee and popcorn. Salty savoury bacon with chilli, tempered with toffee apples. Old leather-bound books linger in the background.
ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 14/20
Buy now for £250
No.5 Day
Using sherry casks in the maturation gives waves of flavour through waves of smoke and peat. Still balanced, this whisky is made for peat heads who also love sherried whisky. Huge mouth feel, big and rich whisky, waves of peat and sherry wash over the palate. This whisky is full, rounded and luscious.
ABV: 56.7%
Smoke rating: 15/20
Buy now for £525
No.4 Kelpie
This whisky is named after the mythical animals of legend around Islay. Kelpies were shape shifting spirits which usually appeared as horses or ponies. But they were maleficent creatures, and although seeming tame, and particulary friendly to children, once mounted the rider would not be able to dismount and would be dragged to the bottom on the ocean or river and eaten.
ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 16/20
Buy it now for £190
No.3 Ardbog
Matured in Manzanilla sherry casks, this whisky has a big smoky punch, but is sweetened by the extra maturation in sherry casks. Undeniably Ardbeg, big and smoky and very dry. Sweetness coming from raisins and there is an underlying rich nutty flavour.
ABV: 52.1%
Smoke rating: 16.5/20
Buy it now for £315
No.2 Dark Cove
This is the darkest Ardbeg day release and is a bit of a beast. You’ll either love it or hate it as the smoke is full on and the rich oily iodine nature of the whisky is very in your face. Underlying all that power are lots of dried fruits such as raisins and dates. Smouldering charcoal and spice with beeswax bring you to smoked meats and salty seaweed.
ABV: 46.5%
Smoke rating: 17/20
But now for £262
No.1 Alligator
At first this expression split the whisky community. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Ardbeg but is also much more. The heavy char of the casks brings the peaty smoke right to the fore with the charred nature of the cask adding even more smokiness. But there is huge complexity too with lots of citrus in the form of grapefruit and lemon, with ginger and orange zest backing that up. There is also sweetness with ginger biscuits and icing sugar and cocoa in the background. Intense smoke runs throughout the dram.
ABV: 51.2%
Smoke rating: 18/20
Buy it now for £472
So why didn’t we go up to 20/20 you ask? Because there are even smokier whiskies than Ardbeg for example Octomore from Bruichladdich distillery, which, depending on the batch is more like a 30/20!