The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Andrew Graham
Grade: B+
Ardbeg Wee Beastie
(Credit: Ardbeg)
Ardbeg has added a new expression to its core lineup: Wee Beastie, a phrase that seems like it should mean something specific, but I have no clue what. *
With an age statement of five years, Ardbeg is successfully threading the needle with Wee Beastie. Nobody is going to boast about drinking a five year old scotch, which is exactly why putting a five year age statement on a new release strikes me as a baller move. You don’t do that unless you know it’s good.
Age statements ultimately don’t mean anything to me because every spirit stands on its own when it goes from the bottle into the glass. And I find some of Ardbeg’s expressions to be challenging. It is as though they’re out to bully the palate, and that aggression is enjoyable when mine is up for some roughhousing, but not so fun when it isn’t.
Ardbeg’s Wee Beastie, however, is more tame and versatile than other expressions put out by the storied Islay distiller, and still a great dram overall.
The Scotch
The Wee Beastie is bottled at 47.4 percent ABV and is non chill-filtered. It isn’t what I would call a “mean” Ardbeg, although from the first pour, it is very much an Islay scotch.
The nose offers a strong aroma of peat and notes of light agave and pear. The nose is interesting on its own. The aroma is of an earthy peat, not the heavy smoke I associate with other Ardbeg expressions. To confirm the difference is as I remember it, I referred to a dram of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which did indeed give notes of burnt rope and cigar ash on the nose. The Wee Beastie is riper and earthier.
On the palate, I tasted flavor notes of moss, saltwater, white pepper, and tar, which turned to a finish of charred banana and lemon rind.
While the dram packs a nuanced punch, the medium finish of the Wee Beastie is, again, not something I find in other Ardbeg expressions. It’s delightful to drink and a great addition to the Ardbeg lineup.
The Price
Ardbeg Wee Beastie can be found for around $50 per 750ml bottle.
* Sarcasm
