Ardbeg Grooves 46% NV

Professional reviews

Words of Whisky (87)

:

Color Chestnutoloroso sherry
Nose
A fair amount of brine to start, with hints of smoky barbecue notes. This is quite meaty actually, but with bursts of blackcurrants and red berries. In the background there's a layer of soot, iodine and rubber.

Taste
Fairly big bodied, with a good viscosity. Quite ashy and somewhat burnished to start. The oak certainly isn't shy, as this is a reasonably dry whisky, with a good amount of spices too. In the background there's some darker, roasted fruits.

Finish
A syrupy sweetness with smoke, ash. A pinch of salt, as well as some lemon peel. Long.

Comments
Good, well-engineerd whisky from Ardbeg, that offers an interesting drinking experience.

BOW (86)

whiskynotes.be

Nose: sour berries, eucalyptus and hints of rubber shoe soles at first. Vanilla pastry, toasted wood and salted popcorn. Strawberries in the background. A bit of a funny mix so far. Pine resin and briny notes. White pepper too. Youngish and you feel the aromatic wood trickery, but nothing’s out of balance so it kinda works. Mouth: bittersweet notes and heavy soot, kippers and plenty of brine. White pepper, cloves, ginger. Even a mustardy sharpness. Then back to citrus, pear drops and vanilla. Fades on burnt herbal notes. Finish: quite long and warming. Smoked pimentón. Tarry and briney notes.

This is very sooty but also fairly dry and oaky, with plenty of spices. It feels a little doctored. This wouldn’t work in the core range (especially at this price) but it’s nice to try as an experiment.

PRODUCER'S TASTING NOTES



Nose: Intense aromas of smoked cinnamon and paprika, antique leather and saddle soap, with classic Ardbeg scents of pine resin, tar and briny sea spray in the background. A distant hint of a fragrant bonfire by the shores of the distillery and, finally, an unusual savoury note, like chilli-seasoned meats. A little splash of water releases some beautiful, unexpected aromas: lavender scented soap, ground white pepper, floral and herbal notes entwined. Fresh flowers mix with coriander leaves and mint.



Taste: A powerfully salty mouthfeel drifts into sweet vibes of treacle toffee, vanilla popcorn, salted fruits with soot and tar. Again, those distinctive savoury notes of smoky BBQ, paprika and mustard spice, fading into an unexpected haze of smoked pears and apples, almost like pear cider.



Finish: Smoked paprika and bonfires with a mellow sweetness throughout