Ardbeg Corryvreckan

A little background

Ardbeg has been distilling spirits since 1815, when John Macdougall took out a licence and established it as a legitimate commercial concern. Ardbeg Corryvreckan is named after the famous whirlpool that is located to the north of Islay, the region of Scotland that Ardbeg calls home. Corryvreckan was awarded the World’s Best Single Malt in the 2010 World Whisky Awards. This single malt scotch whisky sits at the high proof (in comparison to other scotches) of 114.2 and carried a retail price of $70-$90 dollars.

(Tasted neat from a Halo Glass)

Color

Autumn Honey

Nose

Brown butter and smoke are at the forefront, giving it a beautiful creaminess. High percentage cacao dark chocolate gives it a very nice tang. Blueberry peel and sweet sugary notes come in that give it a well balanced sour/sweet sensation. The typical brininess that Ardbeg possesses is present as well: I would be disappointed if it weren’t there! There is also some coffee-like notes upon a heavier nosing, paired with ethanol.

Palate

Brown butter and smoke are at the forefront, giving it a beautiful creaminess. High percentage cacao dark chocolate gives it a very nice tang. Blueberry peel and sweet sugary notes come in that give it a well balanced sour/sweet sensation. The typical brininess that Ardbeg possesses is present as well, which I would expect. There is also some coffee-like notes upon a heavier nosing, paired with ethanol.

Finish

The finish is long with the aftertaste of the Turkish coffee, peat smoke, black pepper, and bitterness of the chocolate notes remaining. It coats the whole tongue and stays for a long time. It is a very nice finish, and it makes me want to wait a minute before I go back in for another sip.

In conclusion

Without question, Ardbeg Corryvreckan is a fantastic whisky. Given the opportunity, I would would certainly purchase a bottle if given the chance. Ardbeg definitely did this one right, I would love to drink this while eating a dry aged steak or smoking a robust, peppery maduro cigar. I would encourage anyone who does not normally drink scotch to check out Ardbeg’s scotch, they definitely do it right.