Whisky Review: Ardbeg Auriverdes

Vanilla cream, hot cinnamon jelly beans, peat smoke, bacon bits, honey butter. A collision of sweet and smoky. Light mouthfeel. Almost exceptionally so. Fairly quick, yet enjoyably intense burn with loads of sweet smoke though the finish. I would have preferred a bit more to it, but overall it fits with the general lightness of the dram. Final Thoughts: This is not a be all, end all expression from Ardbeg. It was never intended to be such. I mention this as much to myself as to anyone else reading this. Truth be told, I was all over the map during multiple tastings of Auriverdes. While I spent a lot of the time in the realm of unimpressed general acceptance, I did also veer close to despair once or twice. I genuinely appreciate the approach Ardbeg takes in pairing heavy smokiness with otherwise light spirits; however, I felt that this particular matchup just not ever solidify in a satisfying way. At times, the whole thing was far too sweet, and was definitely knocking on the door of the sickly. At other times, the entire presentation came and went without ever truly announcing itself. It was background music with the occasional jarring sour (or sweet) note. I tend to prefer my Ardbeg taking center stage. Score: 80/100 [SHOP FOR A BOTTLE OF ARDBEG AURIVERDES]