Review: Ardbeg 17 Years Old, Unicorn’s Tale, and Traigh Bhan Batch 6 (2024)
Not one, not two, but three new, limited-edition expressions of Ardbeg have landed on our desks today, including the latest Committee Release, Ardbeg 17 Years Old. We’re also checking out the second Anthology Collection oddity and this year’s sixth annual Traigh Bhan, the 19 year old expression that is never made in exactly the same way. We’ve got details, and we’ve got thoughts. Read on!
Ardbeg 17 Years Old (2024) – Ardbeg 17 was a longstanding expression from the company until 2004, when it was retired following the acquisition of Ardbeg by Glenmorangie. Now it’s back — at least for a time — in the form of an Ardbeg Committee release for 2024. It’s a unique spin on Ardbeg as not only is it made with peated and unpeated malt, it’s also bottled at 40% abv, just like its forebear. There’s no information on barrel types, but I’m presuming this is a 100% bourbon-barreled release. If you’ve ever wanted to try Ardbeg at its softest and gentlest, this is the whisky for you: The whisky is a pale gold in color, its nose simple and medicinal, evoking sea spray and dried kelp, plus lightly woodsy notes. Bright and effusive on the palate, 17 years of casking (and a dialed-down peat component) has helped to tame any burley smokiness, though it’s certainly not lacking smoky peat elements completely. Elements of lemon peel and evergreen needles prop up the muted body, while bonfire smoke rings the edges. Gentle touches of caramel and vanilla give the whisky a lightly sweet fade-out. Modern Ardbeg fanatics accustomed to an overload of peat may not get the fuss here, but there’s something to the idea of Ardbeg writ small that works. 80 proof. B+ / $180 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
Ardbeg Anthology 14 Years Old: The Unicorn’s Tale – The second whisky in Ardbeg’s Anthology Collection, which explores casks that it has never used before. While The Harpy’s Tale was a study of Sauternes casks, The Unicorn’s Tale looks at the impact of Madeira wine casks and bourbon casks in combination at an age of 14 years. The nose approximates that classic Ardbeg profile — bold and woody, with plenty of smoke layered throughout. It’s not particularly medicinal or even pushy at first, but there is a hospital note that evokes elements of menthol and Band-Aids that comes into focus with time in glass. On the palate, things take a turn. Elements of fruit quickly emerge, pairing with the peaty smoke to create flavors of grilled peaches, charred lemon, and dried apricot, all in a swirl. There’s still plenty of heady menthol and Vick’s VapoRub in the mix, giving the whisky a biting pungency, but it finds a tempering quality amidst all the fruit. As the finish builds, the whisky takes steps that are lightly tropical in tone, more mango than pineapple, albeit touched with a light ashiness that keeps it grounded in Islay rather than warmer islands. 92 proof. A- / $160
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Years Old Batch 6 (2024) – This Traigh Bhan, like its predecessors, is aged in both bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, though 2024 sees additional refill bourbon casks being used, making for less wood influence and more room for Ardbeg’s peaty core to show itself. This is another soft expression of Ardbeg, but quite a delightful one: The nose is toasty with a relatively light ashiness, with brown butter notes and elements of cloves adding an easy spiciness. This complements the palate’s richness, where the peat remains restrained, allowing for notes of cocoa and coffee to emerge, along with a touch of citrusy orange peel. The palate continues that silky, buttery theme, with light spice notes lingering for a moderate amount of time. With more refill wood in the mix, Traigh Bhan Batch 6 emerges as a comparatively simple and straightforward expression of the whisky. Nonetheless, it’s one of my favorites from the series to date. 92.4 proof. A- / $300 [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM THE WHISKY BARREL]
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