Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release

not the best Ardbeg tried.

surprisingly light and delicate. vanilla, toffee, medium length tobacco-ish finish. The biggest problem is that, Ardbeg used to offer a lot of committee releases with great completion in flavor, structure and perfection. I used to be a big fan of them. However, after Kelpie in 2019, I didn't see any upkeep in the following committee releases. Although I got this bottle for only 100 bucks. The aesthetic on the overall completion still doesn't justify the price tag. In my humble opinion.

COLOR: light white wine - good Ardbeg - better than the TEN (though not by much) - better than the 46% bottling, therefore the 84 points are justified. But it doesn't offer anything more in terms of special flavor – easily comparable to and on par with the PERPETUUM. - €150-200 is unfortunately far too expensive for the quality.

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It has a relatively oily viscosity and its bouquet is relatively intense. I have aromas of dry maritime peat smoke, citrus, vanilla and forest honey. Not really complex. A good balance between sweetness and dryness in terms of taste. The alcohol is well integrated and it has a relatively heavy body.

... do you like your ARDCORE ...

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A very basic Ardbeg. Nothing much to elaborate on taste profile

Sampled as part of the blind tasting "The Islay King 2023": Very light, vanilla, coffee, a bit stable, leathery, subtle, kinda too thin.

I did the Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release back to back with the Ardbeg 8 For discussion. Close, but the victory goes to the Ardbeg 8. Both lack of complexity and finish. Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release.... A lot of marketing again... First Black Malt Barley. Ardbeg Fermutation ... Longest fermutation ever. Ardbeg Heavily Vapours... First whisky ever distilled without a purifier-the apparatus on the still... Let's get back to the Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release... It tastes good, but it is simple and the mouthfeel is thin. The finish is flat.

Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release 50.1%. 25ml sample at home, May 2022. Very pale yellow with an almost greeny hue in this light. Aroma is lightly seaweedy, light in general, ever so slightly biscuity. The lemony note I associate with Ardbeg is more of a seaweed and waxy impression here. The smoke isn’t there on the nose. It smells a touch young – I’m getting some light peachy new make esters on the tail end, and they build over time. Not a bad nose but a little muted and young. It’s a pleasant, clean spirit-led aroma. Taste is soft up-front, the brine builds towards some classic Ardbeg smoke, always with those background peachy esters (there’s some immature whisky in this for sure), becoming slightly ‘green’ and waxy towards the finish with a salty linger. The smoke on the linger is not one dimensional – it makes up one third of a trinity of salt, smoke and ethereal estery fruit (maybe stone fruit). A good whisky. Drinks a bit like an independent 6 to 8 year old Ardbeg bottling. It’s enjoyable but putting this out as an official special release is slightly odd behaviour in my book - a touch short-sighted. Anyone familiar with Ardbeg (i.e. the entire target audience) will see that Ardbeg 10 is a better expression at a smaller cost in terms of both money and effort. I enjoy Ardbeg and this is absolutely not an exception to that, although I’d say that the outlay to quality ratio is a bit disappointing in this case. I get the distinct impression that the roasted malt concept was rushed out for marketing reasons with an emphasis on novelty over quality. The concept is interesting but the product was released too early with too much immature whisky in it. Nevertheless, drinking this reminds me that I ought to buy another bottle of Ardbeg Ten if I can get one for under £35 as I have done a couple of times in the past. It's just a lovely spirit. 3.55/85

As much as i love Ardbeg, this is probably the most uninteresting expression I've tried from the distillery to date. Nothing really stands out in terms of powerful flavours, and VFM-wise this is off-the-charts not worth the MSRP, and certainly not worth secondhand prices. Better to stick to the core range

Didn't enjoy this Ardbeg at all. The finish is so weak and I didn't quiet feel anything.

Disappointment. Will lose to ANY Ledaig (very similar to him). Ardbeg was not found here.

Solid; but one of the weakest Ardbeg I've had so far. You could really have given it a little more time in the barrel - 08.08.2022

Good on the nose but a quite weak body and short finish indeed, rather easy drinkable

Yeah, okay citrus ash smoker, Ardbeg might be 10. Now somehow nothing. Especially for ... wait a minute, how expensive should a large bottle have been? samples are enough!

Vanilla, citrus, cocoa, notes of engine oil, iodine, not bad

What the hell is doing Ardbeg these last years? Their Corryvreckan is way much better than these bottlings... Well, at least, it isn't an NFT whisky... :|

That's not quite what I imagined the bottling to be. Quite flat on the nose. Little of what I otherwise like about Ardbeg. Lots of anise, some peat, lactic acid and young oak. The taste is a bit ashy and not balanced. The alcohol is not integrated as well as in standard range bottlings. The malt probably consists of relatively young whiskys and relatively fresh casks. The light and golden color would also suggest this. Even after an hour in the glass, it doesn't get much better. Impetuous and wild. But that was already announced with the bottle. The marketing around this bottle is once again world class. The whisky doesn't convince me (so far). I will revise my review once I have given the whisky some time to develop in the bottle.

This Ardbeg is nice to drink but nothing too special.

Big badly licked peat. A little moist, sticky, marshy earth dust, ashes, raw coal. You can feel the Bourbon influence behind, but it's really discreet. A few touches of vanilla, honey. Oddly, it's a bit greedy, on shortbread, speculoos. After a while, it's quite balanced, even creamy. On the palate, the Bourbon stands out, it is very soft, pleasant, ethereal. Vanilla punch with lychees, a sprig of ginger, a zest of lemon and voila. Ah yes, a good pile of peat, of course. Very thick. The finish is unfortunately a bit short, but punchy, caramel, candied chestnuts, chocolate. A little dirt and coal, and guess what? A good pile of peat. Opaque smoke. A mint lozenge. It's a nice Ardbeg, I put it between the Grooves and the Arrrrrrrdbeg! in the list of Committee Releases. It's good, but nothing earth-shattering, and it has nothing to do with Punk. Honestly, it's about on the level of the Ten, and even it seemed to me that the final was worse. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2022/08/ardbeg-ardcore-committee-release.html

Ok, it isn't the best young Ardbeg ever, but it isn't by far not that bad as pronounced in a lot of reviews. Young - yes, peaty -yes! But diluted -no, weak - no no no! It seems to me that - since some years - a kind of "Ardbeg-bashing" has become modern, whenever Ardbeg releases - not only but especially - the Feis bottlings. I've tasted quite a lot of them and am very sure that they don't deserve a 75-or even less-rating. Of course, a single cask, preferably from the early 70's, gives even more fun, but in that case have a look at the price!

You can do it, you don't have to. This release can certainly be used to illustrate the taste that heavily roasted barley can bring out, especially in the finish. Otherwise, unfortunately, quite unspectacular. Apart from the slightly sour mustiness in my nose, not really a bad note, but nothing that inspires me either. You can drink it, but it doesn't stick in your memory.

Tipp: Bowmore, 7yo, 46% (IK 2023)

The aroma is light, piquant, vanilla, then green fruits, youth. Unripe malt, coal and resin. The taste is flat and develops better over time. Light vanilla, green apples, citrus and chocolate, pleasant sourness in the aftertaste. Bought by chance, after a masmarket, this whisky can surprise and even be a very pleasant conductor of the evening. But knowing that this is a committee release and its real price - no thanks.

Almost light peated Ardbeg

The aroma wasn't very pleasant; it smelled like raw beans. The taste was better. It had a slightly peaty, somewhat ink-like flavor. The finish was medium to long.

Very short finish, I enjoyed the normal Ardbeg TEN way more.

Disappointment.

Lemon, sand, playdough, cocoa powder, coal (some burning), coffee, finishing with some vanilla pods, unsweetened peanut butter, and a hint of grapefruit. The late finish is just peanut butter flavoured playdough, which lasts for several hours despite my efforts to wash that flavour away. It's sort of an interesting experiment, but if this is representational of what we can always expect from black roasted malted barley whiskies, it's not a practice I feel should be continued, or maybe pair it in port or sherry casks to better compliment the flavours. This is a fresh crack, so if it improves, I'll up the score. As it stands, taste-wise, it isn't quite as good as their standard 10. It's my least favourite Ardbeg, but it is somewhat interesting, so, there's that... (84) Revisited 2 months later, the finish has less playdough - it's getting to be more like dough rolled in ash and cinders, so now that the finish is no longer as bad, I've upped the score to an 85. It's now a solid whisky - comparable enough to their 10, which still doesn't make this a good value...

This was my least favorite dram from the Ardbeg tasting from our local whisky club. This Ardbeg Ardcore, for all the pomp and circumstance around it being a 2022 Committee Edition release, at a stronger 50.1% ABV, and trying to pay homge to sister distillery’s Glenmorangie Signet, using chocolate malt (2 row barley over roasted), was mainly a basic, ashy, smoky hammer to your senses. Rather one-note, not interesting, and for the price? I’d take the Ardbeg 10 Year Old any day of the week.

The aroma is unfinished, raw malt, peat, aggressive wood, sharp and intimidating - like a bouncer in a club. The taste is amazingly juicy, zesty and straightforward - like a bad girl in a club. The aftertaste is warm, thin and short - like drinking in a club)) Whisky is as versatile as it is replaceable.

Very poor effort from Ardbeg, tasted sample enough for me will not bother to buy as i have more respect for my inners

Eagerly awaited and then this...a deadpan yet disappointing bottling. The worst I've had from Ardbeg in my glass so far. It remains to be hoped that old virtues will be remembered again!

[May, 2022] What a prophetic name "Ardcore" as I already suspected for years that my beloved complex (old) Ardbeg profile is slowly transformed into a rather simple hardcore malt. No problem if you love hardcore stuff... ...but very disappointing if you prefer complex and delicate drams. This one smells and tastes like a mere five-years old heavily peated any-distillery malt matured half in bourbon refill and half in virgin oak casks - so it is all about peat and wood. The malt itself is absolutely premature and compares more to the profile of a schnapps. Sorry folks, this is not my style of whisky hence you can have it all (let alone for such a ridiculous price).

Tasted on 08-12-2022. Not the typical Ardbeg taste but I enjoyed it.

For me a tasty young Islay Dram. The combination of strong smoke and light sweetness works for me and is typically Ardbeg in my perception.

Well, rather a joke than a good Ardbeg

Ardbeg Ardcore, Committee Release 2021, Oak Cask, 50.1% A very elegant smoky note, not dirty, but fine. Spicy and strong. Bacon and cold sausages. The strength comes with a delay, the spicy notes dominate, the smoke recedes. Very aromatic. I like it very much!

Aroma：Moderate；Palate：85/100; Aftertaste：Medium.

Hmm... Well... What can I say? Don't knock me off my chair. Smoke, a touch of sweetness, a hint of citrus and ash. A slight spiciness lingers in the mouth, along with the taste of the ash. The citrus note also comes through for a long time. I'd rather buy a regular 10-inch coil, or a Smokehead.

It hurts my heart, but why is such a whisky bottled as a "Committee Release" by Ardbeg (LVMH)? Does a master distiller out there like Dr. Bill Lumsden, don't you feel proud to simply stop such releases or not to release them in the first place?! ...I love Ardbeg, but this type of bottling destroys the good reputation of the distillery. Don't get me wrong, you can drink this whisky, but it's so generic, so replaceable, that EUR 130 almost seems like a hoax. Hopefully all the corporations out there will regain their expertise at some point!

What is the difference between this one a young Caol Ila? Round about 100 squid and a cooler label. Promising, but shy nose. THIN. Little rubbery which I usually consider quite interesting. Gone. Depth, complexity, Finish? As disappointing as Laphroaig's Select in its own way. It does not improve over time. How can someone bottle this and charge that price? A shame and the worst Ardbeg I have had since Blasda. Skip it. Edit Like

Tried it yesterday and still really pleasantly surprised. Creamy texture, with ash, vanilla, lime and I also find chocolate and coffee on the finish. I found it delicious. In terms of price (and taste) you are of course still in good hands with the standards. Do you have to try this one - no. Nevertheless - good (unfortunately too expensive) whisky.

well, this is where I could actually copy my notes from the 46% version and just add that overall with the 4.1% more ABV it seems a bit stronger and spicier. But nothing more. But that makes it a little better, which is why I give it 2 more points.

Nice whisky, not outstanding like some of Ardbeg's older Committee bottlings, but still very drinkable. I would doubt whether it would have been worth the €133 (incl. shipping) that is now being called. There are actually Ardbegs from the standard range that are significantly cheaper and have a very good price-performance ratio!

Immediately after pouring into Glencairn: really tasty stuff - reminds me of the Dream of Scotlands I already had today. Just delicious, a relatively (again: delicious) and one dimensional profile (Sweet, Smoke and Salt) like a light, very well made Islay blend. Properly cleaned. Not much to complain about here if you ignore the name and price. The alcohol is well integrated and there are no off notes. A bit thinner on the palate, but no complaints either. With an Islay blend for 40 euros, I would say: really well done. Sweeter with water on the nose, even thinner on the palate. 87 points on the nose, 85 on the palate (because of the slightly salty tingling).

Nose: not particularly pronounced, spicy, tar, coal, unripe malt, some vanilla, some green apple, some lovage and slightly peppery, young and immature Palate: Flat on entry, then becomes a bit juicier, tar, peppery, some green apple, light vanilla, light note of citrus, slightly chocolaty, becomes sour over time Finish: hardly present, ashy, some tar, slightly citrus Rating: the nose is still the best, after that it goes steeply downhill. He's young, has probably only seen empty refill barrels and is, all in all, immature. I'm good for nothing - especially not at the price. An inconsistent cacophony of immature aromas (although the tar could have been something...). No thank you. And given the price, it should actually be 2/10. When was the last really good committee release from them? 76/100 or 3/10

This is not a really "bad" whisky. Somehow, however, the impression here remains for me this is diluted new make. Full review in a flight of six Ardbeg: https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2022/07/27/maximum-ardbeg-teil-2-fuer-weit-weniger-als-16-millionen-pfund/

It's like biting a spiky ball, really. Quite pale and sharp. You have a little bbq-smoke, ash, a litte sharpness on the nose. Pepper, ashiness, a little bit of fruit on the palate. It feels pale compared to many other Ardbegs, this is really the worst Ardbeg I've had, not saying it's horrible. I would add a small amount of water and you'll have a decent whisky with a high price.

https://whiskylovingpianist.wordpress.com/2022/10/17/feis-ile-2022-ardbeg/ The rules are simple. Pay a few quid, pick a number, open the door and see what you got. It’s Ardcore [again]. “Nooo”, I cry. “It’s the Committee Release”, they say. “Woohoo”! N: Very similar, of course, to the standard release, yet being more alive [more esters etc.], all on barley juice, it’s simply more voluminous yet chilled at the same time. No theatrics here, the phenolic yeasty/beer is more towards,… allium lemonade[?] T: With an abv-spiciness upfront, we are taken straight into the business end of an incredibly relaxed cask-strength whisky. F: Perfectly seasoned saltiness. C: Uber barley faithful, this one might glass-age rather well.

Better than normal version But... you know

A very simple Ardbeg. There isn't much special there.

Against a drinkable/good Ardbeg, but as so often much too expensive for the bottling. I like the standards (Uigeadail, Corryvrecken, Ten) much better. Was nice to try the ardcore, but won't be remembered. Out of sight, out of mind.

I love a peat monster & this qualifies, nut actually not as phenolic as I expected. Although bottled at over 50% it does not need any added water to release the character. I do like Ardbeg malts, I do like this, I wish I could say I love it.....but I prefer a number of other bottlings. It does however deliver in the main areas I like, strong, phenolic & smooth as well as being quite complex, each mouthful offers something different......I would also say the dring improves as it warms in the glass & the overall which improves by the time you are half way down a bottle.

The bottle design is already world class !!!!

nose: peat, cold ash, vanilla, citrus, spices and a watery sensation blocked: peat to chew, at least we are good at Ardbeg; still the ashes, then a bacony, meaty and fine salty aspect arises, there are citrus fruits which give a little freshness, it is sweet and not very alcoholic, on the other hand it is quite monolithic apart from these primary scents final: the bright side with peppery spice, stewed fruit, ash and swirling smoke a good dram for his taste buds which does not transcend, which does not give in to novelty.

Ardbeg Ardcore Committee Release, 50.1% alc. Original bottling (2022). Extension: no information Nose: Ash and motor oil meet dark biscuits and delicate vanilla. The peat smoke is reminiscent of charcoal briquettes and burning flotsam, but farther away. I find a sliced lemon with a hint of rosemary, otherwise this Ardbeg is surprisingly reserved. Palate: Here Ardbeg finally comes to the fore! Typical sweetness, very creamy with lots of peat smoke and citrus fruits, plus aniseed and rosemary. Milk chocolate and the dark biscuits also come to the fore again, I also find forest honey, cold smoker and ash. Finish: Medium length and sweet, ash and some pepper, lime and malt. Conclusion: smoke with sweetness, easy and good to enjoy, anything but complex. An honest Ardbeg. 84/100 points (2022

A too young Islay peater, below average in most aspects. Although a few drops of water are helpful to work out the details in the nose, but leaving you with a diluted and too young peater.

Almost surprisingly weak. I keep asking myself why such whiskys are bottled?! Even with a great imagination, it's hard for me to spot an Ardbeg here. Never in life can this whisky be sold at such a high price. The value for money is unacceptable.

Blind tasting "The Islay King 2023": That could be something like the Wee Beasty (but it's not just ex-bourbon), so here I'm sure with Ardbeg, I'll just say 10 and 46%, maybe it's just the ten. But he was the Ardcore Committee. I think the Ten is great, so I like the Ardcore too, but it doesn't really offer any value that justifies the price.

Smells: Medium pungency, an obvious fermentation flavor, fermented malt cheese followed by peat sour bacon, burning apple wood pungency, accompanied by the malt flavor of smoky new wine plus peat 25.4/30 Taste: Bean Paste, Disinfectant Water, Nut Barbecue, Roasted Melon Seeds, Smoke, accompanied by a medium-low bitterness, burnt coal and peat flavor, very positive and sweet, as if a layer of molasses was brushed on the barbecue, and the molasses absorbed more smoke 26/30 Aftertaste: Peat smoke, medium-low bitterness, herbal mint cooling sensation 26/30 Overall: The body of the wine is still relatively young. On the one hand, the peat is more assertive, and on the other hand, the body of the wine is relatively simple.

Smell: medical, peat, burnt tires, old cottage cheese, vanilla, citrus in the background Taste: ash, campfire, peat, medical accents, vanilla Finish: peaty and ash Rating: 3

The first Ardbeg that I don't like at all. There's just not enough of everything in the glass. Very weak on the nose, little on the tongue and hardly any finish. Was able to taste it at the distillery on the launch day and then drank a Corryvreckan which was worlds more fun to drink. Sorry, but for me Ardcore just doesn't have enough punk in the bottle. Issue price on 04/21/2022: £105 = €126

Give it time and you will be rewarded. The nose opens up late, tentatively at first, but then there is a lot to discover.

Great potential but unfortunately filled a little too early. It's fun and satisfies you while drinking, but something is just missing. Too bad Ardbeg.

Solid whisky, significantly better than some are describing. Not sure what the agenda is here but it's oddly extreme with some of the reviews, it's like these limited edition bottles trigger people. I'm kinda surprised some of the scores are allowed to stand, they are obviously emotional reviews. Maybe if they all stop buying and trying, I'd be happier as the bottles might go down in price and become more available. So hate away. I guess if you are into very delicate whisky's I can see how this is not your thing, but most Ardbeg's aren't. Wonderful oily creamy body with a little water and time. Tasted this head to head with an Ardbeg 10 (safely decanted) from 2008 and current Ardbeg 10 on the shelf. 2008 was close behind but 10's on the shelf now are easily surpassed by this bottle. It has a mouthfeel and development that are far superior to the current 10. It's definitely more funk and gritty compared to the current 10, I guess this is where they are coming up with spiky ball. My whisky group calls it "hornets" that are so common with the Supernova's. It's bright/vibrant and very fruity with some sweet/sour which is likely where some people think it's too young, but I find it much more interesting than the 10. It definitely needs a little water and at least 5 minutes before it starts to dance. Sure it's overpriced at 105 pounds but what isn't these days and don't believe the reverse hype that the 10 is better, it isn't, not by a long shot.