Ardbeg Ten

Very smoky, but that's what it's known for. Long lasting strong tasty aftertaste

Quick hit review. Tasted in 04/2016. Almost 10 years ago, Ardbeg Ten was still the undisputed 'guardian of Islay', a malt that, like no other, was regarded as a cornerstone of peated Scotch. All the hype of a highly collectible and heavily marketed brand never appealed to me, but this core range expression deserved its place on my shelf. The phenolic peat blast with briny seaweed, citrus fruits and underlying sweetness kicked off an intense and eventful nose. On the palate, it was big, bold and into your face. Salty peatiness shrouded sweet and spicy notes, leading to a prolonged, characterful and slightly dry finish. Back then, it was a staple in every whisky collection. RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS

C: Straw yellow. N: A lot of “delicate stuffs” like peat, dried seaweeds, brackish, coal, burned tire, then dried fruits, apple peel, lime, then smoked fish, green wood and then again a peat smell, dried fruits and almonds. P: Dried saeweeds, salt, ash, and peat with the addiction of tobacco and dried fruits that put to the test the strongest palates, yellow fruits, mellow apple, kiwi, and then again peat and smoked fish, maybe a bit mineral. F: Long and persistent is the final, salty mouth then tobacco, peat, ashes, smoked fish and liquorice. We really appreciated that, not too pungent and intrusive as into the NAS Ardbeg               ( annual release ) and the sensory mixture is rude and fascinating at the same time. 88,5/100

Bottled 2014 - 84 Bottled 2018 - 81 Bottled 2022 - 80

4th bottle in 8 years: the 10 has become hit-and-miss. A good bottling will be great, a bad bottling will be flat. Still, different but not worse than most more expensive Ardbegs. This score is an average of all four.

torfig, herb

A bit peaty but pleasantly so

Ardbeg ten *Age statement: 10 years old. *Alcohol percentage at least 46%: yes, 46%. *Amount of filtration: stated on the front of the bottle as non-chillfiltered. *Use of caramel coloring {E150a}: unstated, but it doesn’t contain farbstoff according to the Germans. (3 out of 4, regarding craft/integrity presentation and communication). Without water Nose/olfaction: smoky, salty; it instantly makes one think about a bonfire near the beach. Palate/gustation: smoke, citrus, oily, briny; a clear continuation from the nose alongside some aspects of the bourbon barrels. Finish/coda: peppery, more citrus, so it’s a bit sour and some spice, with a lingering of smoke. With water Nose/olfaction: it has been tamed a bit, more citrus emerges. Palate/gustation: a less intense version, but more elegant, there I say: a tad smoother. Finish/coda: less stringent feeling and no sourness, it also becomes much fuller. I don’t usually rebuy a bottle, this was simply too cheap to pass up on, it is a weird feeling coming back to a bottle only a few years later. Still knowing how the old one tasted, and knowing there isn’t that much difference, but the senses nonetheless detect changes. Perhaps that is just batch-iness, perhaps I’ve changed, but it feels good to comeback and review in once more. There is very little to hate here, it is quite punchy, a bit complex, and overall very enjoyable. However, it also feels lifeless next to small batches and single barrels, it feels like a peat crowd pleaser, but no one will walkaway really happy, just sort of satisfied.

Simply a great Dram!

Ardbeg 10 *Age statement: 10y *Alcohol percentage above 46: yes, 46% *Amount of filtration: stated on the bottle as non-chillfiltered *Use of caramel coloring {E150a}: unstated, but German’s claim there’s no ‘farbstoff’ in this, which must be disclosed in some European countries. (4 out of 4, regarding craft/integrity presentation) On the nose I get smoke, some sweetness and some wood. The peat is dominant on the palate but there’s also some salinity, lemon zest, wood and it’s a bit flowery. On the finish the peat remains like a blown out campfire on the beach. Whiskies from Islay often get described as the experience of a bonfire near the sea, and this one also falls into that category. For the price there’s very little to critique, maybe the bottle should state that there is no coloring agent in this bottle, but that’s really it. A delicious whisky for every peat’o’phile.

aroma: subtle to indistinct, dried fruit, peat in the background taste: soft, smooth, nuts, dried fruit, alcohol, peat Delicate aroma and taste. It doesn't seem smoky at all to me.

L9 291 version.

Perfect as far as peatiness goes, and it lingers for a good while.Excellent value for money for the Peaty fans. Happy to purchase from the supermarkets on a regular basis for regular price.

Great to try an Ardbeg from my early days again. Solid, strong and aromatic with authentic smoke. It's fun - 03/23/2024

Nose: Cool minty peat (Arbe style) ash smoked meat Taste: Sweet and full Slightly smoky ash Tail: Pepper ash long sweet Always a good comfort (L13)

This encompasses the very core of the Ardbeg character. This is full-bodied, peat-rich, sweet dram. Wonderful.

Phenolic smoked banana pie with tobacco, burnt flowers, seaweeds and fish oil. RATING: 88pts - [n23,t21,f22,b22] → |86-89: Remarkable|

85/100 tasty

Nice Ardbeg! Fresh and with citrus on the nose ......

Soft yet strong. Lovely aftertaste.

The color is almost water. The aroma is one-sided. Alcohol, medicine, hay, white wine. Taste – alcohol, peat, iodine, unpleasant oil. Wild whisky. As Ivan Volkov said - it’s just right with cola!

Classic

The aroma is calm, weak, even. Light and sweet peat, a little smoke. Taste - peat, alcohol, roughness and causticity. As with the first sample in the spring - clean, tasteless (lots of alcohol left.

Beautiful smoky aromas, lovely dryness, an Ardbeg as it should be. We were particularly impressed by the depth of the taste. The 2016 batch was something you could keep in your mouth for ages and discover new flavors. Excellent. From three flights with batches from: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023 we had the following order: 1st place: 2016 2nd place: 2018 3rd place: 2011

Sweet,Mild, Smoky, Gentle, Great for beginners

worth a try

Simply great in terms of price/feelings ratio. One of the best distilery in the world and my favourite. If you want high quality peat, grab this and you will never regret. Despite being simplest of the core range, would rate it the 2nd among the four.