Is this the start of something beautiful? - Ardbeg Anthology Series First Release Harpy's Tale
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
- Anthology by definition means; a collection of artistic works that have a similar form or subject, often those considered to be the best. Bold statement from a bold distillery.
This is the first release of the Anthology series from Ardbeg which comes in the form of a 13 year old single malt whisky matured in ex-bourbon and Sauternes wine casks, called Harpy's Tale.
Overlooking the classic Ardbeg marketing gimmick, let's see if this whisky is as bold as Ardbeg's statement.
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It's hard to keep up with these Ardbeg special releases! I really enjoyed the BizarreBQ - I think it's the best special release Ardbeg has done recently. I passed on the "Harpy's Tale" as the description didn't excite me and the price was too much. Hoping you can get to Ardbeg's latest "Spectacular" release!
Yeah they do release a lot don't they! I agree with you, BizarreBQ was fantastic! I have not tried the Spectacular yet but if I get my hands on one, I'll definitely do a review 🥃
Agree!
Tried the spectacular & it’s definitely different that’s for sure & would be an interesting review. ( myself & couple friends tested it)
Well over priced but it’s something very different from the norm.
Too many specials especially from Ardbeg as they have plenty of special whiskies on their list.
Nice review.
I’m convinced! Must buy 👍🏼
It is quite tasty 😃
Great review!
Cheers 🥃
Thanks John!
So lactic! I am loving that aspect in this beauty! Bready - lactic and 🥖 and fabulous smoke! Damn it’s good!😊
Hahah glad you like it 😃
@@thewhiskyenthusiast Lol!! 🙂
I need to taste mine again I didnt get much from it when I first cracked open the bottle I felt it was much lighter on the palate compared to most ardbegs it was similar to my Traigh Bhan in that regard but I only really got some Vanilla on the palate with the typical peated scotch notes. Now that its had plenty of time to breathe im hoping I get those cheese notes and olive oil notes as thatd be super unique for a whiskey
Yes I can see how it can resemble the Traigh Bhan in the lightness side. Ah I hope you get some better notes now that it had time to breathe but I did like it, Sauternes surprisingly worked well. Cheers
One day a while back, I randomly stumbled into BevMo and saw this on the shelf. I have always liked Ardbeg, so I am interested when I see something unusual from them. When I saw that part of it had been matured in Sauternes barrels, I had to have it. I love peat monsters, and I love Sauternes wine, but the idea of bringing the influence of Sauternes wine into a peat monster is quite strange. Sauternes gets a unique flavor that is hard to describe when the influence of the moldy grapes is strong. This whisky must have used casks from a good vintage. Even through the heavy peat, I detect the telltale aroma of the moldy grapes. The only other Sauternes influenced spirit I have in my collection right now is a Kelt Cognac. It's quite noticeable there too, and it works very well, but using Sauternes barrels with Cognac seems to make sense, so I'm not surprised that such a thing exists. It is more of a stretch for heavily peated whisky. I bought the bottle because I had to satisfy my curiosity, but I was surprised at how well it worked. The sweetness and characteristic Sauternes funk add a layer of complexity to the heavy peat. By my standards, the price isn't too bad. I have a rule for US$200+ spirits - at that price, the spirit must be both high quality and stylistically unique. This whisky meets that standard while also costing a lot less than $200, so I'm quite happy with it.
Thank you for your detailed insight. I too was a bit apprehensive about how the Sauternes and the heavy Ardbeg spirit would marry but it sure works. Have you tried the old Glenmorangie Nectar D'or which is also a vatting of sauternes casks.
Yeah price and taste are all subjective so if this whisky makes sense to you in those aspects then great! The argument of price is always tricky because I get both sides. I understand people feeling ripped off for paying a lot of money for a youngish or nas whisky but I also understand that if it gives pleasure and you like it then why not!
Cheers
@@thewhiskyenthusiast I haven't tried Nectar d'Or yet, but it is part of a set of four Glenmorangie mini-bottles that I have, so I will get to it before long. I think I'll take half-pours from each for a tasting flight, and I'll save the other half to compare with other things. Nectar d'Or, The Harpy's Tale, and Kelt Sauternes-finished Cognac will have to be one of those comparisons. Maybe I'll have a small pour of Sauternes as a warm-up.
Age is a major factor that figures into the price of a spirit, and I certainly understand people balking at whiskies that are expensive for their age statement. Bourbon has a lot of this going on, and many of the expensive and hyped-up ones truly are not worth it. (When I saw Eagle Rare 10-year at a museum marked up to $200, I could clearly see that something was terribly wrong with the bourbon market.) Craigellachie 13 is a lot more reasonably priced than this 13-year version of Ardbeg, and it also delivers on quality. I drink all styles of whisky from all over the world. There are some expensive NAS and young whiskies that provide the quality and stylistic uniqueness that I seek out, so I've learned not to rely on age statements too much. Rum, brandy, tequila, and mezcal also have a lot to offer. Rum and brandy (with the exception of luxury-branded Cognac) are great bargains too.
@@heatherharrison264 That would be a great line up with a perfect starter 😃
Yeah I hear you and agree with everything. Age is not the only parameter for price and I have had some fantastic young malts which would take the best of the 'older' stuff. At the end of the day, it's what we as consumers deem worthy and pay our hard earned cash to.
Thank you for the conversation 🥃
Intriguing cask maturation on this one, but, as always with these, it comes back to "Price is up there." Appreciate your checking it out for us!
Yeah the price aspect is hard to overlook but thankfully I do have a whiskyclub wehre we can purchase bottles as a small group and soften the blow. Thanks for watching Tim
Great Review
Thank you
I have to admit I really enjoyed this Ardbeg Anthology expression. It it definitely overpriced and oh do I get irritated with Ardbeg over this issue. I’m reasonable and willing to pay a higher price for a great single malt but Ardbeg takes advantage of huge fans and I am a huge fan. My whisky club got a bottle and I bought one and I definitely get the cumin! For me I am happy I really do enjoy this Ardbeg and quite a lot actually! It’s damn good! It’s the price that annoys me! Big time! But I also just paid $200 Canadian for a new Lagavulin 16 so there you go!! My beloved favourites cost a lot! Too much! Terrific review as always! I really appreciate your thoughts!! Cheers!
Thank you Christine, I''m glad you like the review.
Yeah Ardbeg and price is always a sore subject which won't get any better any soon. Thankfully though, like you, I have a whisky club where we could just pool our resources to try new things.
Thanks for watching, cheers
@@thewhiskyenthusiast Whisky clubs are the best!! Have a fabulous day!! 🙂
Great start to the video with not picking sides etc with Ardbeg marketing and all the phoney stories on the box. I appreciated that you just reviewed the whisky for what it is. In my area in Canada, Harpy is $264…2x the price of BizarreBBQ…I mentioned to the sales person when I bought it ….”you have no idea how badly I don’t want to buy this bottle but I have too”…😂
😂😂😂 yeah I bet there are a lot of similar sentences formed every time Ardbeg releases something😅
Thank you, glad you liked it. I just can't stand these stupid stories like who's this for? Why spend energy and money on this nonsense not even funny literature. At least lately the whiskies have been good. Cheers
This sounds like yet another great whisky from Ardbeg but it’s £140 here so way out of my price bracket and I’d question bang for buck on it when it compares to the core range which I think is so well priced, cheers!
Yeah the core range is competitively priced, especially the 10. This is why I encourage people to find a whisky club to join or get a few of their friends in to whisky to purchase together to soften the blow. If I wasn't involved with a club I wouldn't have drank half of the whiskies I had till now. Cheers my friend thanks for watching
Great review, really enjoyed it. I haven't tried this one yet. Just one thing to clarify; by cottage cheese, do you mean çökelek from Turkiye or the cheap cottage cheese in the UK? If it's çökelek, I am going to get one :) Thx
Ah man unfortunately not as pungent as çökelek but more close to lor peynir, less acidic and more creamy. Thank you for watching, glad you liked it