Review: Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Years Old

Unlike most of the new Ardbeg releases we see, today we have the pleasure of introducing not another special edition but a new member of the family that will be permanently available — the first since An Oa in 2017. Ardbeg Trudernish (TROO-der-nish) is a 15 year old expression designed to add a little more age (and a rare age statement) to the core Ardbeg range. Aged in a mix of bourbon, virgin charred oak, and oloroso sherry casks, the name is inspired by an ancient settlement on Islay’s “Enchanted Cape,” where legend has it the water never freezes.

Meanwhile, Ardbeg has rolled out new bottle designs for its entire lineup — though the updates are not extreme.

Our sample bottle of Trudernish was typically tiny, but as always we’ll do our best with review commentary.

Ardbeg Trudernish 15 Years Old Review

Trudernish is designed to be a softer style of whisky, with moderated smokiness from the peat. At first blush that seems not entirely the case, the nose quite bracing with medicinal, smoke-heavy notes, a mix of beach bonfire and iodine, alongside a tenacious aroma of green herbs and a late-game appearance of juniper. A smoldering Dutch process cocoa powder lingers, increasingly visible with time in glass.

On the palate, the smoke hits quickly but dissipates just as fast. I wouldn’t call this whisky “soft” by any measure, but it definitely sees the initially heavy peatiness drop into the background fairly quickly. What emerges from there offers significant complexity, a mix of torched orange peel, smoldering juniper branches, and a hint of grapefruit rind that reminded me of Malort in the best possible way. (I am on record for my love of Malort, and I refuse to apologize.)

The finish sweetens things up nicely: burnt marshmallow, caramel, and sesame oil, which adds a gentle savoriness to the proceedings. All told I thought the journey was on point from start to finish, though a slightly ashy quality on the fade-out made me long for more of those sweeter notes to reappear.

97.6 proof.

A- / $90

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