I try to make it a rule not to taste a new whisky by itself. Having something to compare it with besides a memory is almost always a good idea. When I tried the Glenfiddich Original (based on their 1963 Straight Malt), I had a glass of their current 12 Year along side. When Glenmorangie released their new version of the Quinta Ruban (Port cask finished) with an age statement of 14 years, I compared it to the previous 12 year expression.
When I first tried Ardbeg’s newest release, the Wee Beastie, it was part of an online tasting, alongside some very different whiskies. I’ve now seen several posts about this dram, and several people asking “How does it compare to the 10 Year?” (Ardbeg’s core expression), and I wanted to answer that question.
Sure, I could compare my recent experience with the new release to what I think I remember the 10 Year tasting like the last time I had it. But wouldn’t it be better to do a side-by-side comparison? So I decided to heed my own advice, poured a measure of each, and sat down.
The basics – Ardbeg is a distillery on the island of Islay, off the coast of Scotland. Most people associate Islay with smoky whiskies, and while there are exceptions, Ardbeg is not one of them. They are not at all shy about using peat in their Scotch, and often a lot of it.
The Ardbeg 10 Year is their main offering, and is bottled at 46% ABV. The Wee Beastie bears a 5 year old age statement, and is bottled at 47.4%. Both are non-chill filtered. Some might be a bit put off by such a young age statement, but don’t be. This does not suffer from youth, and does not come across as an immature whisky.
A word about peated Scotch and age – Phenols, the chemical compounds that cause peated whisky to taste smoky, break down over time. Generally speaking, the longer a peated whisky ages, the less intense that peat becomes.
Color – Both are a pale straw color. Suprisingly, the Wee Beastie is slightly darker than the 10 Year.
Nose – Don’t let the pale color lull you into thinking these are weak or bland offerings. On the nose, the Wee Beastie offers big peaty smoke, with hints of tar, and a little coastal salinity, very common with Islay malts. At just under 240 sq. miles, it’s hard to get far from the sea.
With the 10 Year, I find that the salinity is more pronounced. Maybe the extra time has allowed it to absorb more salt from the sea air, or maybe it’s just that there’s less here to mask it. As expected, the smoke is more subdued in the older expression compared to the Beastie. Peat smoke definitely has a terroir, and there’s certainly a hint of the medicinal iodine / seaweed typical of Islay peat to be found here. While the younger offering is unmistakably Islay, I really don’t get that iodine.
Taste – On the palate, the Wee Beastie offers a big hit of smoke up front. The iodine that was lacking from the aroma makes itself known here. The finish is long, with those distinctive Islay flavors building at first, then giving way to a lingering smoke.
The 10 Year is a little less assertive. Up front, you get some maltiness, with the smoke hanging back just enough to let you appreciate the barley that this was made from. The smoke on this builds towards the middle, with that medicinal feel coming closer to the end. As expected, time has mellowed this compared to the younger Beastie.
Adding a few drops of water to the Wee Beastie tones down the phenols, as expected. Malt starts to emerge in the aroma, reminding me of a biscuit that was left too long in the oven. On the palate, the maltiness appears as well. Salinity gets pushed to the back, and I get more smoke than iodine / seaweed. My personal impression is that it starts to resemble a Campbeltown malt in many ways.
Overall, if you like peated whisky, and are looking for big Islay smoke without a big price tag, the Wee Beastie is a bargain waiting to be found.
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