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Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength Review

Is Ardbeg 10 Cask Strength just a peat-and-spice bomb—or a surprisingly delicate Islay dram? This review breaks down the nose, palate and finish.

OVERALL RATING

9
$100
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

It has finally happened, a cask strength offering of Ardbeg’s famous 10 year old single malt. Created using mostly ex-bourbon casks with some ‘experimental casks’ filed to a higher strength than usual being used in the overall recipe.

What those experimental casks are is up for debate, but this is a bottle that has most people sitting on the edges of their seats for.
Appearance:
Pale Yellow
Nose:
Lime juice, baked lemons, classic Ardbeg ashy, sooty smoke, almost no hint of the higher ABV at all. Some sort of blossom, maybe cherry blossom and a big wave of agave nectar, too. I get it with all Ardbeg and Laphroaig all the time – white chocolate and hazelnuts, wet rocks on the beach, oyster shells and classic whiffs of Islay peat.
Palate:
It’s surprisingly mellow at the start. You do get a gradual buildup of spiciness, but it doesn’t feel above 50% on the initial taste. More classic Ardbeg soot and smoke, more baked lemon notes and some roasted meat – roasted chicken, sage, rosemary, etc. The spice does build a little more on the second sip – feels more like pickled jalapenos and pepper relish with fatty deli meats. This whisky can really build from that initial subtlety.
Finish:
Long, chewy and with a lot of the classic notes that we love about Ardbeg. Although, I must say it isn’t that heavy on the creosote/iodine profile, it’s a rather subtle and approachable cask strength Islay whisky, which isn’t something I’ve said a lot. Cigar leaf, medium bodied cigar smoke, foliage, damp leaves, smoked chilli peppers/smoked chilli salsa, a little touch of that hazelnut note from the nose. Becomes very oily and earthy on the finish, dying smoke, peat smoke, cigar smoke, feels dense and heavy on the tongue. more flecks of chilli spice and savoury herbs.
Comments:
This is as good, if not even more complex, than I thought it would be. My initial thoughts were that this would just be a smoke and spice bomb, in a good way! But it is far more nuanced than I could’ve imagined. It’s poised, delicate, has its powerful moments, and could be even more surprising as the bottle develops. A truly great throwback to Ardbeg loved of the past, with a relatively solid price tag attached to it.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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