Very fair review. Enjoyed Shawn’s points on NAS. However, in the UK, this costs almost the same as the fab 10yo. No contest. Yet, some folks like it, though perhaps not for the hardcore fans. Digging the stereo audio through headphones!
Ya', if similarly priced I can see how this one is a tough sell. Especially for the hard core fans. But, it will still find it's way into some hearts for it's softness. BTW, nice catch on the stereo... ;-) ~Mark
It's a good whisky but in the scheme of things this is disappointing Ardbeg. When such an iconic distillery releases a new permanent release it should bring something fantastic to the table. This a decent peated whisky but that's it. The worst thing about it is that it has the fingers of corporate decision all over it. Much as I like Ardbeg they need to get their act together. The 10 year is a classic. Ardbeg should stop pissing about with NAS from the Black Sea and introduce another age statement at an affordable price.
Thanks for the review guys. I picked up a bottle of this for $44US (£34) and I am looking forward to the more rounded nuance you talk about. I also think it would be great to see your scoring system go to a scale out out of 10 or 100. 2 to 2.5 out of 4 is a full point on the 10 scale and over 10 points on the 100 scale. Seems like you are potentially skipping a more refined score opportunity and may end up smearing out the difference between a good and a very good scotch.....scotch 10 dummies? Slainte and great work.
This was my first Islay and I can't imagine it much heavier than this. I kind of just jumped in after trying glenmorangie and was smacked in the face by a shovel full of peat bog. I think I will grow to like it over time.
I am just having the 10 and the An Oa side by side and I have a slight preference for the An Oa (15,5/20 vs. 15/20 in my scale). It is fruitier, earthier and more complex than the Ten which is a very straightforward vanilla+smoke mix. And the An Oa has definitely enough smoke (but mostly in the finish) to be a true Ardbeg. Here in France the An Oa is a tad more expensive than the Ten but both are much cheaper than the Uigeadail (my favourite). If I look at my notes over the last few months, sometimes I preferred the Ten, sometimes the An Oa (not in parallel). It is not the Ten but a very good version in its own right.
Hey guys, I bought this bottle at a 70 Euro price point and to be honest I was disappointed for what it brought to my palette at that price level. I totally agree that this is a toned down version of Ardbeg and I will probably not replace the bottle with the other choices that I have for ardbeg. Plus I have some warehouse samples I need to drink with my friend that we bottled outselfs during a distillery tour ;)
I find this one to be a great clean whisky ... if we think of it as a sweet peaty scotch with no preconception about what Ardbeg is or should be, this is a solid 3 in your scale for me. Thanks for the review guys. Cheers
Concur with not being able to go back from peat. Settled on Johnny Walker Black for day to day whilst looking for any half decent occurence in life to celebrate with a beautiful peaty Islay, An Oa is a goodun'
Hey guys! Re-viewing last night's stream and hearing I was busting your chops this week over the An Oa review it clicked and I realized that you might think I was criticizing you also/instead of the An Oa. Let me say I think your review is up to par and you try to cut Ardbeg some slack (admittedly there are many much worse malts out there!) and try be positive and to point out the good in it. So to be sure: You do a great job and I don't mean to rip you for your impressions of a whisky as long as they are honest (which I think they are!). So if any of my comments regarding Ardbeg and the An OA suggested I had a fight to pick with you instead of Ardbeg, please accept my apologies, because I don't. Big hug! ~Hogi
Thanks for the review guys! Now for my rant: The An Oa is a disgrace to Ardbeg as is the Laphroaig Select and the Talisker Skye. All of these distilleries have a wonderful, high-quality entry level product @10 years of age which reflects their core qualities pretty good. Nobody needs entry level peated single malts from distilleries known and beloved for their intense individual personality! There are enough lighlty peated Highlanders and Blended Scotches out there to fill this gap perfectly. Thank goodness Lagavulin added a wonderful 8yo to their portfolio instead! The An Oa is watery, young, lackluster with a short finish and the supposed PX influence a joke. Talking pricing I'd take e.g. a Springbank 10 over the An Oa every day. And if I need a simple, but well-crafted Ardbeg, give me the TEN which is not only better, but cheaper than the dreaded An Oa as well. If you cut a Bull's balls off, you don't get a "tamer bull", but a friggin' ox! Ah, now I feel better! :-)
I don't disagree, and feel this is a market scotch and they didn't want to something completely different such as non-peated. If it was cheaper than the 10 year I could see the higher rating, but it is more expensive. Paying more for less? This is a sell as much whisky as I can to increase profit at expense of older year vintages IMHO. To me this is a sell-out whisky. Ardbeg has always been a go big or go home type of whisky. If I wanted a good NAS I would go with Uiggy.
I've never seen statistics or any substantial (or unsubstantial for that matter) evidence for the claim that indeed such single malt bottlings made it "easier for customers to familiarize themselves with the world of peated Scotch". That's just a statement which may or may not be true. I know enough people who either don't like peat at all - even after having tried it a couple of times - , and those for whom Laphroaig Quarter Cask was love at first sight. Ultimately, whatever you concoct as a corporation, be it the shitty rest of re-filled grain barrels (Haig Club anyone?), you can always make up a bs marketing story to justify your doing. Doesn't mean at all it's based in reality! ;-)
Hogi. Thanks for the frank discussion! I don’t fault a company for expanding their market. If they were changing their standard expressions to meet a changing market, that would be disappointing. Companies will create new expressions. We do not need to like them, but others will. Those additional sales help fund the bottles we like. Everyone wins! ~Andrew
I agree Hogibaer although I'm a little more chilled. The term 'shyster' was made for the sharks in the whisky industry. The An Oa is alright but adds nothing to the core portfolio. It's just a cash cow but we shouldn't be surprised. I like Ardbeg but they have been taking the piss for years. Every year the annual release is £50 or £60 overpriced and the Committee bottlings, whilst good, are £200-300 in the U.K and an absolute joke. I'm disappointed with the An Oa because it adds nothing to Ardbeg or the whisky community. I'm buying more and more independents these days and this is why.
I am surprised that you don't think the An Oa was at least a bit better than the Select?? It is a divider though because of the sweet mint involved, and a bit lighter yes.
The Uigeadail is the same price as this bottle for me. The Corryvreckan is $10 more. The standard 10 year is only $49.99 ($10 less than the AN OA). So many choices. Great review, what you said backs up what I have read and heard from others. I might get me a bottle soon.
Avoid the An Oa, it's disappointing and more of a $40 max. bottling quality-wise. But maybe buy a dram at a bar together with the TEN and taste h2h to see for yourself.
I believe the MacDougals took over the tenent structure of this area after Alexander Stewart was declared bankrupt in 1794...It seems that Stewart had been distilling, but seemed to be not large venture as in 1815
@S4D I wouldn't give companys too much credit for 'having achieved what they set out to do', since it begs the question whether their goals were commendable in the first place and led to a good product. I'd rather see them want to create a cheap, watery NAS and ultimately fail. XD
I think this indeed is a bit strange one as it’s on the weak side for an Ardbeg. Here in The Netherlands it’s about the same as the Ooga which in my mind is way better. For me the charred flavor was not the typical Ardbeg campfire smoke profile and seemed almost like a bit fake. Still not a bad dram if you don’t compare it and judge it by itself so 2 or 2.5 makes sense.
Gets a 1.5 (note: no 0.5 or 1.0!) from me b/c I also judge it by what it could have been. Imho it's a lazy product which rather seems to have been created by corporate marketing than folk who are concerned with good quality Ardbeg to preserve the reputation of their brand. ;-) Kinda the opposite of the new Benromach 10, Glen Scotia 15, Deanston, basically any new Springer, Laga 8, Kilkerran 12 [...]. These folks also plan on making money, but still decided + managed to put out quality products. I don't think Ardbeg do themselves a favor with the An Oa, even if sales might turn out decent.
This is an okay, approachable dram, but overpriced. As a NAS scotch it shouldn't cost $10 more locally than my basic Ardbeg 10, which is a must-have on my shelf. If Ardbeg wants to make an introductory NAS scotch it needs to be $10 *less*. As is, it's overpriced, and most knowledgeable drinkers aren't going to buy this. I'm going to finish my bottle and that's it - no real reason to buy it again.
I think it's strange that this lighter, friendlier (and NAS) Ardbeg costs more than the Ten. Besides the name that no normal consumer will care to google, won't people just go for the cheapest scotch on the line-up?
I don't know about that....not saying there isn't a portion of folks that will just go for the cheaper one, but there is a good portion that will go for the one they like more. I'm a big fan of age statements don't get me wrong, but I also know of some damn good NASs.... ~Mark
Very fair review. Enjoyed Shawn’s points on NAS. However, in the UK, this costs almost the same as the fab 10yo. No contest. Yet, some folks like it, though perhaps not for the hardcore fans. Digging the stereo audio through headphones!
Ya', if similarly priced I can see how this one is a tough sell. Especially for the hard core fans. But, it will still find it's way into some hearts for it's softness. BTW, nice catch on the stereo... ;-) ~Mark
It's a good whisky but in the scheme of things this is disappointing Ardbeg. When such an iconic distillery releases a new permanent release it should bring something fantastic to the table. This a decent peated whisky but that's it. The worst thing about it is that it has the fingers of corporate decision all over it. Much as I like Ardbeg they need to get their act together. The 10 year is a classic. Ardbeg should stop pissing about with NAS from the Black Sea and introduce another age statement at an affordable price.
I agree with Roy, at this price I will go for the 10yo any day over the An oa.
Thanks for the review guys. I picked up a bottle of this for $44US (£34) and I am looking forward to the more rounded nuance you talk about. I also think it would be great to see your scoring system go to a scale out out of 10 or 100. 2 to 2.5 out of 4 is a full point on the 10 scale and over 10 points on the 100 scale. Seems like you are potentially skipping a more refined score opportunity and may end up smearing out the difference between a good and a very good scotch.....scotch 10 dummies? Slainte and great work.
This was my first Islay and I can't imagine it much heavier than this. I kind of just jumped in after trying glenmorangie and was smacked in the face by a shovel full of peat bog. I think I will grow to like it over time.
I am just having the 10 and the An Oa side by side and I have a slight preference for the An Oa (15,5/20 vs. 15/20 in my scale). It is fruitier, earthier and more complex than the Ten which is a very straightforward vanilla+smoke mix. And the An Oa has definitely enough smoke (but mostly in the finish) to be a true Ardbeg. Here in France the An Oa is a tad more expensive than the Ten but both are much cheaper than the Uigeadail (my favourite).
If I look at my notes over the last few months, sometimes I preferred the Ten, sometimes the An Oa (not in parallel). It is not the Ten but a very good version in its own right.
Here in Slovakia... We say "Ano" as in yes. Pretty close. Hey!
Hello,
Great review.
Could you tell me what is the name of the glasses you are using? They seem much wider than the regular Glencairn glasses.
can you recommend Ardbeg an oa .is it good smoky? I am from Sweden
Pricing is so weird. At total wine in Washington, An Oa is only $4 less than Uigeadail ($86 vs $82)
That's OVERPRICED! ~Mark
Yeah, that’s weird. My total wine has the An Oa at only like $2 more than the Ten.
Hey guys, I bought this bottle at a 70 Euro price point and to be honest I was disappointed for what it brought to my palette at that price level. I totally agree that this is a toned down version of Ardbeg and I will probably not replace the bottle with the other choices that I have for ardbeg. Plus I have some warehouse samples I need to drink with my friend that we bottled outselfs during a distillery tour ;)
What kind of desk jobs you working? I'm not hacking on you guys. Seeing how you like the Peat!
I find this one to be a great clean whisky ... if we think of it as a sweet peaty scotch with no preconception about what Ardbeg is or should be, this is a solid 3 in your scale for me. Thanks for the review guys. Cheers
It's pretty solid on price too! ~Mark
Concur with not being able to go back from peat. Settled on Johnny Walker Black for day to day whilst looking for any half decent occurence in life to celebrate with a beautiful peaty Islay, An Oa is a goodun'
Thanks fellas! Solid review! Agreed with everything you said.
Whew, nice to have someone agree...been taking a bit of a beating on this one...haha! ~Mark
Hey guys! Re-viewing last night's stream and hearing I was busting your chops this week over the An Oa review it clicked and I realized that you might think I was criticizing you also/instead of the An Oa. Let me say I think your review is up to par and you try to cut Ardbeg some slack (admittedly there are many much worse malts out there!) and try be positive and to point out the good in it.
So to be sure: You do a great job and I don't mean to rip you for your impressions of a whisky as long as they are honest (which I think they are!). So if any of my comments regarding Ardbeg and the An OA suggested I had a fight to pick with you instead of Ardbeg, please accept my apologies, because I don't. Big hug! ~Hogi
Thanks for the review guys!
Now for my rant: The An Oa is a disgrace to Ardbeg as is the Laphroaig Select and the Talisker Skye. All of these distilleries have a wonderful, high-quality entry level product @10 years of age which reflects their core qualities pretty good. Nobody needs entry level peated single malts from distilleries known and beloved for their intense individual personality! There are enough lighlty peated Highlanders and Blended Scotches out there to fill this gap perfectly. Thank goodness Lagavulin added a wonderful 8yo to their portfolio instead! The An Oa is watery, young, lackluster with a short finish and the supposed PX influence a joke. Talking pricing I'd take e.g. a Springbank 10 over the An Oa every day. And if I need a simple, but well-crafted Ardbeg, give me the TEN which is not only better, but cheaper than the dreaded An Oa as well. If you cut a Bull's balls off, you don't get a "tamer bull", but a friggin' ox!
Ah, now I feel better! :-)
I don't disagree, and feel this is a market scotch and they didn't want to something completely different such as non-peated. If it was cheaper than the 10 year I could see the higher rating, but it is more expensive. Paying more for less? This is a sell as much whisky as I can to increase profit at expense of older year vintages IMHO. To me this is a sell-out whisky. Ardbeg has always been a go big or go home type of whisky. If I wanted a good NAS I would go with Uiggy.
I've never seen statistics or any substantial (or unsubstantial for that matter) evidence for the claim that indeed such single malt bottlings made it "easier for customers to familiarize themselves with the world of peated Scotch". That's just a statement which may or may not be true. I know enough people who either don't like peat at all - even after having tried it a couple of times - , and those for whom Laphroaig Quarter Cask was love at first sight. Ultimately, whatever you concoct as a corporation, be it the shitty rest of re-filled grain barrels (Haig Club anyone?), you can always make up a bs marketing story to justify your doing. Doesn't mean at all it's based in reality! ;-)
Hogi. Thanks for the frank discussion! I don’t fault a company for expanding their market. If they were changing their standard expressions to meet a changing market, that would be disappointing. Companies will create new expressions. We do not need to like them, but others will. Those additional sales help fund the bottles we like. Everyone wins!
~Andrew
I agree Hogibaer although I'm a little more chilled. The term 'shyster' was made for the sharks in the whisky industry. The An Oa is alright but adds nothing to the core portfolio. It's just a cash cow but we shouldn't be surprised. I like Ardbeg but they have been taking the piss for years. Every year the annual release is £50 or £60 overpriced and the Committee bottlings, whilst good, are £200-300 in the U.K and an absolute joke. I'm disappointed with the An Oa because it adds nothing to Ardbeg or the whisky community. I'm buying more and more independents these days and this is why.
I am surprised that you don't think the An Oa was at least a bit better than the Select?? It is a divider though because of the sweet mint involved, and a bit lighter yes.
The Uigeadail is the same price as this bottle for me. The Corryvreckan is $10 more. The standard 10 year is only $49.99 ($10 less than the AN OA). So many choices.
Great review, what you said backs up what I have read and heard from others. I might get me a bottle soon.
Avoid the An Oa, it's disappointing and more of a $40 max. bottling quality-wise.
But maybe buy a dram at a bar together with the TEN and taste h2h to see for yourself.
It’s got a beautiful smokiness. Love the nose on this.
I think it fills a niche. I'll take it to hunt camp. I could care less about price point.
Sound Interesting
$47 here in NH in 2020
It’ could be a cocktail whiskey
I believe the MacDougals took over the tenent structure of this area after Alexander Stewart was declared bankrupt in 1794...It seems that Stewart had been distilling, but seemed to be not large venture as in 1815
LOVE the history! Thanks Alan, ~Mark
@S4D I wouldn't give companys too much credit for 'having achieved what they set out to do', since it begs the question whether their goals were commendable in the first place and led to a good product. I'd rather see them want to create a cheap, watery NAS and ultimately fail. XD
I think this indeed is a bit strange one as it’s on the weak side for an Ardbeg. Here in The Netherlands it’s about the same as the Ooga which in my mind is way better. For me the charred flavor was not the typical Ardbeg campfire smoke profile and seemed almost like a bit fake. Still not a bad dram if you don’t compare it and judge it by itself so 2 or 2.5 makes sense.
Gets a 1.5 (note: no 0.5 or 1.0!) from me b/c I also judge it by what it could have been. Imho it's a lazy product which rather seems to have been created by corporate marketing than folk who are concerned with good quality Ardbeg to preserve the reputation of their brand. ;-)
Kinda the opposite of the new Benromach 10, Glen Scotia 15, Deanston, basically any new Springer, Laga 8, Kilkerran 12 [...]. These folks also plan on making money, but still decided + managed to put out quality products. I don't think Ardbeg do themselves a favor with the An Oa, even if sales might turn out decent.
This is an okay, approachable dram, but overpriced. As a NAS scotch it shouldn't cost $10 more locally than my basic Ardbeg 10, which is a must-have on my shelf. If Ardbeg wants to make an introductory NAS scotch it needs to be $10 *less*. As is, it's overpriced, and most knowledgeable drinkers aren't going to buy this. I'm going to finish my bottle and that's it - no real reason to buy it again.
Great Review as always Guys , @scotchtestdummies Bartbeg these guys need some help 👆👆👆😂😂
2.5? Wha wha whaaaat? =) Well, more for me out there... lol
Yes, this is part of the Ardbeg Core - with Corry/Oogie/10.
I think it's strange that this lighter, friendlier (and NAS) Ardbeg costs more than the Ten. Besides the name that no normal consumer will care to google, won't people just go for the cheapest scotch on the line-up?
I don't know about that....not saying there isn't a portion of folks that will just go for the cheaper one, but there is a good portion that will go for the one they like more. I'm a big fan of age statements don't get me wrong, but I also know of some damn good NASs.... ~Mark
@@Scotch4Dummies I don't mind NAS whiskies at all, I'm just curious as to why the lighter, entry-level bottle isn't also the cheapest.
Harsh score