It's interesting that Ardbeg's sister Distillery Glennmorangie also uses chocolate malt in its Signet; not sure if the two malts are identical, but I'm pretty sure they're close enough.
Woodford Reserve (Brown-Foreman) released a bourbon in 2019 with chocolate malt. However being a bourbon it was just a minority grain in the mash. Used more as an accent to offset the corn sweetness.
Brewer here. Black malt is way darker. Chocolate malt is like a dark medium roast. Black malt is like charcoal. A stout might have as little as .5% black malt (if used with other dark/roasted malts). We've made a stout with pale malt and 2.5% black malt. Our brown ale has 10% chocolate malt for reference
Pineapple and vanilla? The first things that hit my nose were medical bandages, tar, rotten seaweed, and a hint of caramel in the background! Noses vary indeed! I agree that these kinds of whisky more interesting and desirable than the more common whiskys with their sweet & fruity notes. I had some of that Ardcore on Christmas and was having flavour flashbacks on Boxing Day!
I have a tendency to bypass the medicinal notes and go straight into fruits because I take it for granted. But yes you're right - some questionable seaweed in there.
Great video, I think your thoughts and notes on this one are very close to mine. You just like the overall experience more than I did. It seems to me like the extra roasting of the malt has reduced the flavours getting through to the spirit. Either by denaturing what's there or reducing the ability of the malt to take up peat. Or both. I also suspect that this is younger than the average Committee Release. It produces an experience that's a bit too light and hollow for me. Personally I would be ok if this and Signet were the only heavily roasted malt experiments we see ;-) and probably explains why it's not a common thing already. Cheers!
I was trying to avoid watching any reviews before posting mine. I like the fact that it's a bit more nuanced than regular Ardbegs. I am also biased for sure - anyone who watches my channel knows that. Not a bad offering but like I said nothing phenomenal either. It gets an extra couple of points because I'm a shameless fanboy.
@@MaltActivist it is hard to hate Ardbeg for sure! Except for the prices maybe. Have you had Blasda? Interested to hear your thoughts. Edit: I mention Blasda because I can see how it would appeal in similar ways to Ardcore from what I remember. I'd love to get another bottle of Blasda to try again and to review but that's probably going to be very expensive now 🤑
Love the video! I’m with you on this one, it’s much better than it’s getting credit for. Ardbeg really does bring out a divisive type of Trump Derangement Syndrome for some, maybe it’s Committee Derangement Syndrome. I tasted this on 3 separate occasions to reasonably priced whisky’s that have solid ratings on whisky base (Ardbeg 10 - 86, Kilkerran 12 - 86, Coal Ila 12 - 87), that many reviewers claim they’d rather drink. It easily outperformed all three mostly on mouthfeel and to your point uniqueness. It’s not thin as many are claiming, has a nice weight and creamy mouthfeel. If you think this is thin, Ardbeg 10 is pure water. It’s fruity, sweet and sour, and then some funk. I love a challenging whisky like one expects from Springbank. Agreed - it’s not a phenomenal whisky but it’s easily a few points better than Ardbeg 10, maybe for some that’s not with it. Fair enough. However, these people who call this is a garbage whisky while praising the Ardbeg 10 have some agenda or suffer from Committee Derangement Syndrome.
@@MaltActivist You seem to be moving towards the consensus of being somewhat disappointed. I'm moving more in the other direction as my head to head tastings with other solid whisky's tell me how much I like this whisky. I tasted it against the Compass Box No Name 2 (which I like a lot) and was surprised I liked the Ardcore quite a bit more. I decided to taste it against a heavyweight (Supernova 2015) and again to my surprise I enjoyed the Ardcore more. Supernova was definitely more refined, peaty, had a longer finish, even a better mouthfeel but somehow I enjoyed the overall experience of the Ardcore more. I think it's the heavy citrus fruit/lime component that is intermixed with the charcoal & anise notes that really does it for me. I like Springbank 18 and Compass Box No Name 3 quite a lot which both have heavy berry fruit components which I don't find that common in whisky's. I think it's the darker gritty stuff combined with heavy amounts of fruit that really works for me and this Ardcore definitely has that. The most underrated Committee release to date in my book, but certainly understand it's not everyones cup of tea.
Picking this up for 118. Thanks for the great review. Got scared off by some reviewers a bit but as with anything taste is subjective. This will be my first committee release as usually by the time thye get here they are in the 300$ range unfortunately so to see this one for somewhat reasonable has me excited. Great video.
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries I appreciate you sharing this. Excessive prices tend to color expectations and result in bad reviews, perhaps rightly so. I'm just interested in perception of the malt itself. Got a bottle of the 46% for under $80, just because I like Ardbeg. I never buy the overpriced NAS releases from Ardbeg and Glenmorangie at retail, but occasionally grab them on clearance.
Good intro and as always an enjoyable video. Coincidence that Glenmorangie and Ardbeg (same owners) use chocolate malt ? Also why is chocolate malt not used more widely by distilleries ? Slàinte
Roasted malt just costs more, and could introduce an undesired acidity in unpeated/low peat whisky. Also, any color darker than honey usually destroys the enzyme that converts grain starches to sugars, so most of the grain used in the mash wont be roasted after drying.
My only experience with peat so far is the Balvenie Peat Week. It definitely takes some getting used to. Ardbeg's reputation has me thinking I still need to work up to this. I love malt and have been testing many different kinds in bread, but that stuff looks like it could pre burn any food 😆
My advice to you, start with the core range: Ardbeg Ten, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Wee Beastie. The quality is very good and the price is much lower.
People rightfully rag on these NAS releases at stupid prices. I would be curious to see how they would like it in $50 bottles without much hype, just the whisky itself on taste, no unrealistic expectations.
@@MaltActivist wow. They just got the later version here locally. Almost bought it. Not sure the extra 4% abv is worth the extra $100 price tag. Lol. Thanks for the review!!
Yeah it's an interesting point. I believe the yeast used in Alta was a wild yeast called Saccharomyces diaemath which had never been used before. While with the Fermutation I think it was more to do with the extended yeast interaction due to the boilers breaking down and the washbacks unable to be drained. With the Signet they used two types of barley - the Cadboll + malted chocolate barley whereas in the Ardcore it's just black. But yes, I believe both the counterpoint expressions are variations of a similar experiment.
@@MaltActivist thank you for this information. So many possibilities! Looking forward to trying all the new expressions in the future. I wasn't able to find Ardcore but I did try the Fermutation and it's so amazing!
One of the worst ardbegs I've ever had in my life, horrible and it's not because it's different.. It's immensely new, badly, very poorly balanced, very similar to a single grain whisky , it has no body, it smells of alcohol, metallic notes. Is this Ardbeg Ardcore a good whisky? For those who have little money, yes it is a horrible whisky. But Great Label 🤘🏻
Having all kinds of Islay drams, this was pure marketing! Over priced, It’s young no way to know it’s age....guessing is a waste of time. Ardbeg should just let us know its age. But if we knew it’s a poor value. As for the taste, fall short in many places. I have tasted many of the newer release, this is a strong PASS... save your money ! Noting to see here.
It's interesting that Ardbeg's sister Distillery Glennmorangie also uses chocolate malt in its Signet; not sure if the two malts are identical, but I'm pretty sure they're close enough.
Woodford Reserve (Brown-Foreman) released a bourbon in 2019 with chocolate malt. However being a bourbon it was just a minority grain in the mash. Used more as an accent to offset the corn sweetness.
Black is roasted more than chocolate, but the black is probably more acidic.
Black is definitely more roasted than the chocolate I think.
Brewer here. Black malt is way darker. Chocolate malt is like a dark medium roast. Black malt is like charcoal. A stout might have as little as .5% black malt (if used with other dark/roasted malts). We've made a stout with pale malt and 2.5% black malt. Our brown ale has 10% chocolate malt for reference
@@thomasvo5073 Thanks for clearing that up.
Pineapple and vanilla? The first things that hit my nose were medical bandages, tar, rotten seaweed, and a hint of caramel in the background! Noses vary indeed! I agree that these kinds of whisky more interesting and desirable than the more common whiskys with their sweet & fruity notes. I had some of that Ardcore on Christmas and was having flavour flashbacks on Boxing Day!
I have a tendency to bypass the medicinal notes and go straight into fruits because I take it for granted. But yes you're right - some questionable seaweed in there.
Great video, I think your thoughts and notes on this one are very close to mine. You just like the overall experience more than I did. It seems to me like the extra roasting of the malt has reduced the flavours getting through to the spirit. Either by denaturing what's there or reducing the ability of the malt to take up peat. Or both. I also suspect that this is younger than the average Committee Release. It produces an experience that's a bit too light and hollow for me. Personally I would be ok if this and Signet were the only heavily roasted malt experiments we see ;-) and probably explains why it's not a common thing already. Cheers!
I was trying to avoid watching any reviews before posting mine. I like the fact that it's a bit more nuanced than regular Ardbegs. I am also biased for sure - anyone who watches my channel knows that. Not a bad offering but like I said nothing phenomenal either. It gets an extra couple of points because I'm a shameless fanboy.
@@MaltActivist it is hard to hate Ardbeg for sure! Except for the prices maybe. Have you had Blasda? Interested to hear your thoughts.
Edit: I mention Blasda because I can see how it would appeal in similar ways to Ardcore from what I remember. I'd love to get another bottle of Blasda to try again and to review but that's probably going to be very expensive now 🤑
Great review. I can't believe I just found this channel. So much fun. Keep the content coming.
Welcome aboard! Thank you !!!!!
Love the video! I’m with you on this one, it’s much better than it’s getting credit for. Ardbeg really does bring out a divisive type of Trump Derangement Syndrome for some, maybe it’s Committee Derangement Syndrome. I tasted this on 3 separate occasions to reasonably priced whisky’s that have solid ratings on whisky base (Ardbeg 10 - 86, Kilkerran 12 - 86, Coal Ila 12 - 87), that many reviewers claim they’d rather drink. It easily outperformed all three mostly on mouthfeel and to your point uniqueness. It’s not thin as many are claiming, has a nice weight and creamy mouthfeel. If you think this is thin, Ardbeg 10 is pure water. It’s fruity, sweet and sour, and then some funk. I love a challenging whisky like one expects from Springbank. Agreed - it’s not a phenomenal whisky but it’s easily a few points better than Ardbeg 10, maybe for some that’s not with it. Fair enough. However, these people who call this is a garbage whisky while praising the Ardbeg 10 have some agenda or suffer from Committee Derangement Syndrome.
haha I like the term Committee Derangement Syndrome! I'm going to be honest with you though. I'm liking it less as time goes on....
@@MaltActivist You seem to be moving towards the consensus of being somewhat disappointed. I'm moving more in the other direction as my head to head tastings with other solid whisky's tell me how much I like this whisky. I tasted it against the Compass Box No Name 2 (which I like a lot) and was surprised I liked the Ardcore quite a bit more. I decided to taste it against a heavyweight (Supernova 2015) and again to my surprise I enjoyed the Ardcore more. Supernova was definitely more refined, peaty, had a longer finish, even a better mouthfeel but somehow I enjoyed the overall experience of the Ardcore more. I think it's the heavy citrus fruit/lime component that is intermixed with the charcoal & anise notes that really does it for me. I like Springbank 18 and Compass Box No Name 3 quite a lot which both have heavy berry fruit components which I don't find that common in whisky's. I think it's the darker gritty stuff combined with heavy amounts of fruit that really works for me and this Ardcore definitely has that. The most underrated Committee release to date in my book, but certainly understand it's not everyones cup of tea.
Picking this up for 118. Thanks for the great review. Got scared off by some reviewers a bit but as with anything taste is subjective. This will be my first committee release as usually by the time thye get here they are in the 300$ range unfortunately so to see this one for somewhat reasonable has me excited. Great video.
Hope you enjoy it!
@@MaltActivist I very much did. Found it got even better after a week or so. Thank you and keep up the amazing videos.
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries Thanks Casey!
@@VinegarAndSaltedFries I appreciate you sharing this. Excessive prices tend to color expectations and result in bad reviews, perhaps rightly so. I'm just interested in perception of the malt itself. Got a bottle of the 46% for under $80, just because I like Ardbeg. I never buy the overpriced NAS releases from Ardbeg and Glenmorangie at retail, but occasionally grab them on clearance.
Good intro and as always an enjoyable video. Coincidence that Glenmorangie and Ardbeg (same owners) use chocolate malt ? Also why is chocolate malt not used more widely by distilleries ? Slàinte
Price and availability possibly? I think beer makers use it more often.
Roasted malt just costs more, and could introduce an undesired acidity in unpeated/low peat whisky.
Also, any color darker than honey usually destroys the enzyme that converts grain starches to sugars, so most of the grain used in the mash wont be roasted after drying.
Yeah, seems like it's a tricky malt to use.
My only experience with peat so far is the Balvenie Peat Week. It definitely takes some getting used to.
Ardbeg's reputation has me thinking I still need to work up to this. I love malt and have been testing many different kinds in bread, but that stuff looks like it could pre burn any food 😆
Pablo. Just go for it.
My advice to you, start with the core range: Ardbeg Ten, Ardbeg Uigeadail, Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Wee Beastie. The quality is very good and the price is much lower.
People rightfully rag on these NAS releases at stupid prices. I would be curious to see how they would like it in $50 bottles without much hype, just the whisky itself on taste, no unrealistic expectations.
Is the only difference between the standard Ardcore at 46% and the Ardcore CR at 50.1% the abv? And the $100 more than the base model?
Yes sir - that is correct, unfortunately
@@MaltActivist wow. They just got the later version here locally. Almost bought it. Not sure the extra 4% abv is worth the extra $100 price tag. Lol.
Thanks for the review!!
@@MaltActivist just purchased it. Damnnit Ardbeg! I’m such a sucker for a new ardbeg. Lol
im happy to have a few bottles,
Nice!
So I'm wondering if the Fermutation is the counter part to the Glenmorangie Allta if this one is the counterpart to the Signent
Yeah it's an interesting point. I believe the yeast used in Alta was a wild yeast called Saccharomyces diaemath which had never been used before. While with the Fermutation I think it was more to do with the extended yeast interaction due to the boilers breaking down and the washbacks unable to be drained. With the Signet they used two types of barley - the Cadboll + malted chocolate barley whereas in the Ardcore it's just black. But yes, I believe both the counterpoint expressions are variations of a similar experiment.
@@MaltActivist thank you for this information. So many possibilities! Looking forward to trying all the new expressions in the future. I wasn't able to find Ardcore but I did try the Fermutation and it's so amazing!
The block lettering font and spikey ball bit are references to the Sex Pistols
I noticed!
Bullocks
More unique than Fermutation ?
hhmmmm interesting Q --- different
B+ dram
Love the video
How was Indri event !
Indri event was actually pretty good. Some pretty decent whiskies on the menu.
Not even remotely worth $200, unless you just must have every Ardbeg release.
fair enough
One of the worst ardbegs I've ever had in my life, horrible and it's not because it's different.. It's immensely new, badly, very poorly balanced, very similar to a single grain whisky , it has no body, it smells of alcohol, metallic notes. Is this Ardbeg Ardcore a good whisky? For those who have little money, yes it is a horrible whisky. But Great Label 🤘🏻
I agree it's not everyone's cup of tea.
For me it does taste very, very young :-/ I don't like it. One CR for the collection, that's enough.
Fair enough!
Having all kinds of Islay drams, this was pure marketing! Over priced, It’s young no way to know it’s age....guessing is a waste of time. Ardbeg should just let us know its age. But if we knew it’s a poor value. As for the taste, fall short in many places. I have tasted many of the newer release, this is a strong PASS... save your money ! Noting to see here.
Fair points!
More polarizing than Donald Trump but less polarizing than Sleepy Joe!!!
haha yes