Ardbeg Traigh Bhan

heavy peat, balanced, not bad at all

Bottled: Under a full moon. Holy s***. What stupid marketing idea comes next?

Best Ardbeg over the last 5 years. Wow! That tropical touch compared with the intensiv ash. Oh yes! That reminds me about the bottles from the 70s. Oily consistency - absolutely delicious. Bottles like this are the reason I love Ardbeg. What a very nice surprice. Easily the best release of the Traigh Bhan series so far. Spectacular!

A very well balanced peat whisky This is what a matured Ardbeg looks like I liked it because it had a mature charm rather than a smoky feel. I ordered this after drinking quite a bit, so I will skip the detailed notes.

Nicely balanced and rounded, but I would prefer the standard 10yo every day

22 21 21 21 85 A nose with a claim to age promised, but... but then everything is simple and drinkable.

Fantastic nose. Weak watery finish

Cloudy style, slightly dirty body

Man oh man….. the Ardi 19 B 4 absolutely hit my nerve! Whether you're at the trade fair or at home, great sweet spice, ardbeg typical smoke, delicious great sherry content and comes from the stinging and spice in the finish to about 50% of the alligator, from its delicious sweet pepper spice even slightly waxy oily very light but that's how it is yummy.

Sladká, dehtová, citronová. Dobrý Ardbeg, ale není tak výrazný, jak bych ho čekal. Trošku vodový. Spíš mi připomíná TEN a to pro devatenáctiletou whisky není úplně nejlepší vizitka.

Release price: 260€

This is the performance of the Abbe I like very much. It reminds me of the 01 batch, and the earlier Abbe 22. These are closer to the Abbe tonality of that great era, and I like this Abbe expression very much. It's better than most of what's been bottled this year, even those sky-high single casks, even the more expensive 25 year olds, I don't think it's as good as this one.

A nice improvement vs Traigh Bhan Batch #3. More mature, sweet and long vs previous edition.

Eel smooth 88p, good malt .. the prices are outside ..

Tasted on 09.09.2023.

Small batch done with complexity

Solid Traigh Bhan, was the first dram in the 360 tasting at Ardbeg on Saturday

Nose: Charred pineapple, salty licorice, subtle Ardbeg smoke Palate: Cheyenne pepper, then a strong menthol freshness forms in the mouth followed by citrus fruits and the classic Ardbeg smoke. Stays in the mouth for a long time. Finish: Peppery, smoky Conclusion: great nose, complex palate, long finish, great whisky, unfortunately very high price!

H2H TB.02/TB.03/TB.04. TB.02: 90 - 90 - 91. TB.03: 91 - 92 - 90. TB.04: 88 - 89 - 90.

For me the best Traigh Bhan, but I think the full moon during bottling has nothing to do with it :-).

I had an Ardbeg online tasting with 8 Ardbegs-Flipper bottlings that week and can therefore classify them well. The pinball fillings (including Groove, Ardcore, Drum, Black, etc.) were all delicious and scored between 85 and 88 points. By the way, my winners were the Kelpie and the Uigedal. That's why I can classify it here quite well. And if he had been present at the tasting, he would have won by a narrow margin. A beautiful and somewhat complex malt.

It's very lemony and herbaceous, on eucalyptus, laurel, humid undergrowth. Vegetable moss, tree bark. Very quickly we feel the tide, the iodine, the mangrove. Kelp, seaweed. Peat is not so strong. Fine, it disintegrates into a nice grainy smoke. Very smooth, oily, fruity on the palate, on plums, Mirabelle plums, Comices pears. Banana, citrus. Mastered spices. Sufficiently long finish, beautiful, parsley, reeds, marshes. A hint of peat on the end, spicy, earthy, dark chocolate. Cola, coal. It's hard to say which is better, Batch 3 and this one, which is more lemony but also more fruity, it seemed to me. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2022/11/ardbeg-2003-traigh-bhan-19-yo-batch-4.html

Great to taste an older Ardbeg again and what kind, a topper. The price is too high though

Straw color. It's not too oily.

The batch 2 is still a notch better in my book, but this one is luckily not burned and ashy like the batch 3.

Let's forget these 90 points of whisky, which are red-fruity, dark, creamy and old... mop... not at all. The nose is gross... tar, rubber tires, burned etc... but in a sweet way.... the gross outweighs the sweetness... and he seems like he has more than 46 volts. He has a cool nose. In the mouth it's pure bourbon cask with dirty smoke... if you keep it in your mouth for a long time there is a pastis mentol note... but only for a short time. Then comes sweetness that doesn't stick... just a hint. From the first moment there is a pleasant sharpness. The spiciness is there all the time... but carries the flavors more than disturbing... It's all very tasty. The finish is epically long... the whole mouth is filled with dirty Ardbeg. I find Batch 4 very successful. Is there a whisky that is more pleasing for 260 euros? Naturally. Do I want these if I want to drink a 19 year old Ardbeg? no And that's where his niche lies. It can do a lot, is very complex if you know how to read it and definitely not an overpriced TEN. You can tell the 19 years by the harmony in the chaos in the mouth.

Really good stuff! Rich smoke on the nose with clear smoked meat notes and a potpourri of light and dark fruits. In the mouth a full start with smoke, lots of fruit and oak spice. The finish is a long, slowly fading continuation of the mouthfeel.

2nd half of the sample: 21.5/22/21.5/22

That one was quite watery. It opened up only after half year, with less than 200 grams left in. At least their cork is good.

Smooth Isley peat, easy to drink but lacks flavor cohesion.

Bottled 16.3.2022 according to the code on the bottle, so not exactly under a full moon after all?

Only one sample unfortunately. Heavily smoky, nice and dirty. Best traigh bhan

round story. Unfortunately not particularly complex

Best and most complex ardbeg ive had thus far but unfortunately the low abv was a killer, sad. Otherwise this has potential to be in the 88 or 89 point mark. Had a 1 cl sample at a bar. Never took detailed notes.

Conclusion: Let's stay as positive as possible. If you read Ardbeg's notes yourself and think: Man, that's something for me! will certainly not be disappointed, as there is actually a lot to be found. To be honest, I didn't read them before ordering, just the advertising text. For my personal taste, this bottling, like the Ardcore, is unfortunately rather sobering. Blindly I would never have come up with 19 years and a high/higher proportion of Oloroso casks. However, you can tell that it is an Ardbeg. 260€ were called. Too expensive? Definitely for what it has to offer in terms of taste. Judging by the speed with which it was sold out, not really. Ardbeg can bottle anything, call up any price, write what they like and the bottlings are always sold out. An enviable state! From a business point of view, everything is done right here. However, one can certainly argue about the development of taste ... For me, it is not a whisky that will be remembered or even do justice to its key data.

Nice smell and taste but falls short when compared to Traigh Bhan 1, 2 and 3.

22/22/21.5/21.5

I was expecting a more toned down peat after 19 years in the barrel, instead I find the usual kicking and aggressive Ardbeg peat that tends to cover everything else, with a sulphurous note that doesn't disturb

I tried it as a launch release at the Milan festival in 2022 and I must say that the label corresponds to the contents: burning fire, smoke trailing, sweet tones of dried berries and a slight touch of minty freshness, with iodine and salt.

22+21,5+21+21

The nose is very complex, the taste and finish are quite typical for Islay but unspectacular, definitely too expensive to drink. Thanks to tribe for the sample

Dry smoke and cold ash, wet hay, gauze bandage, pineapple and gooseberry - long, full-bodied and warming - two drops of water really get it going.

As part of our local whisky club’s Ardbeg tasting, I was able to taste the Ardbeg 10 Year Old side-by-side with the Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old, and it’s clear that age matters. The 19 Year has softened the bolder, bigger modern Ardbeg 10’s blazing bonfire smoke that’s in your face. The 10 Year Old has bolder notes of ash, soot and that smoky beach bonfire peatiness. This Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old, Batch 4 is delicious. It’s softer, rounder and more complex than the Ardbeg 10 Year. I love the creamy, rich vanilla apple danish and honey notes. The barley sugars and more delicate beach bonfire smoke.

It's alright, barely drinkable.

High recognition value on the nose, with notes of burnt tire rubber and tar. In contrast to the younger bottlings, these leave much more room for other components: A nice vanilla note, lemongrass and even a few sherry notes. A similar picture then on the palate, you can tell its age, the peat smoke is much more restrained. Some menthol and pepper mixed with citrus fruits and oranges. The finish is medium long and then ends pleasantly.

One of the best Ardbegs I've ever tasted. Strong, smoky and yet mild. Not as one-dimensional as many of the newer batches now come across. Unfortunately, the PLV doesn't fit at all, but luckily it doesn't affect the enjoyment...

It's a weird one. It tastes like a refined Wee Beastie. Medicine cabinet, caramel soufflé, janitor's closet, cocoa powder, acrylic paint, mud, Italian seasoning, paprika, fresh mint, and freshly mowed grass using a diesel lawnmower.

In direct comparison to Batch 1, the nose is more reserved but just as complex. The taste suggests a higher proportion of sherry casks.

Yes, this is a decently aged Ardbeg. Beautiful aromas on the nose, complex with latent sherry cask influence. There are already plenty of extensive tasting details for this bottle. I carry most of them with me: I mainly find pineapple, some citrus, dark honey, autumn leaves and lots of herbs in my nose. And of course Ardbeg smoke, slightly ashy and sooty. In my mouth I again have the ashy smoke, earthy notes and herbs (including lovage, rosemary, eucalyptus) as well as dried fruits together with slightly bitter chocolate including black pepper and espresso. The finish shows me these aromas again and has a medium-long finish with black tea. Unfortunately for a whisky of its age it is a bit too watery in the mouth and only marginally oily, which is very disappointing. Even on the nose, the beautiful, complex aromas are not as intense and powerful as one would expect given the alcohol content and 19 years of maturation. For me it's not worth the prices dealers are asking. So it’s definitely not a “bang for the bucks.” I also have little hope for collectors who rely on high price increases. The bottle is currently a “shelf-seller” at many retailers. So the supply is probably higher than the demand. Without taking price into account, 88 points on average. Price included: 85 P. What is astonishing is that the standard bottlings such as Corryvreckan and Uigeadail convey their special aromas more intensively than this expensive special bottling here. Maybe you would have to go well over 50% vol. here too. But how much would the bottle cost???

A delicate yet kicky feel. The peat provides a subtle balance, and the spice is quite strong.

03.03.2026 86 / 100 Color: light amber, natural. Not chill-filtered. AROMA - 22 / 25 Peaty, smoky, and a bit "asphalt"/chemical. There's a hint of menthol and anise, and it's generally fuller-bodied than the 17. It also evolves nicely in the glass. After a while, caramelized pineapple, banana chips, pepper, and some herbs emerge, along with autumnal, forest notes, with distinct wet leaves and wood. A touch of sea salt, blue Brie cheese, and unripe green banana. An interesting aroma, though not overwhelming. TASTE - 21 / 25 Dry hay, smoke from a summer bonfire burning dry leaves, dry, stale apples, and a touch of menthol. Later, we have plenty of fruit (oranges, nectarines, and tart golden rennets), as well as a bit of chokeberry. We also have elderberry, notes of leather, and cherries in dark chocolate, along with dry grass, white pepper, and salty caramel. FINISH - 21.5 / 25 Smoked with notes of salty, fatty fish, burnt wood, caramel, seafood, seawater, and smoke. It lingers on the heat for quite a while and is quite pleasant. BALANCE - 21.5 / 25 This isn't a bad whisky at all. However, given its age and provenance, one might have certain expectations, and unfortunately, I expected more from it. Considering the price, I definitely won't be buying a bottle, but it's definitely worth trying for yourself.

Find him quite successful, beautiful Ardbeg with a slightly tropical fruit component and spicy oak. The red thread for me is the rubber abrasion - 17.09.2022

A little time in the glass is good for him to unfold a little. 86-90 – Wow, really good one, need a bottle