What I’m Drinking: Ardbeg Scotch

I’m a food or drink connoisseur. But I’m not someone with a refined palette who can tell the difference between something having notes of coffee versus notes of leather. Instead I prefer to focus on whether or not something is good. My approach was best stated by the philosopher Montgomery Burns: “I know what I hate, and I don’t hate this”.

Here we answer a fundamental question of life: “should you drink this?”

What I’m drinking: Ardbeg Corryvreckan Scotch

The Isle of Islay is home to several famous distilleries, most notably Ardbeg, Laphroaig, and Lagavulin. Islays tend towards peaty, smokey, and salty often with a touch of iodine. That said, Bowmore is the oldest distillery on the island and tends towards the sweeter side.

Ardbeg first started making whiskey 1798, and waited almost 20 years to go commercial. At some point, they decided that they should try to create the most Islay flavored of all the Islays and began doing really cool things with the various notes normally found on the island. If you like Scotch, and what you like about it is that peaty/smoky flavor, they’re the extreme end of the scale. The Corryvreckan is probably my favorite of their boozes, but I’ve never tried one I didn’t love.

The color: Warm Light Amber. Almost Green.

The flavor: Peat and Smoke.

My initial thoughts: Tastes like blending a peat bog with a seaweed fire, but in a good way.

Mix with: Nothing. I’m watching you.

Drink this if you like: Peaty Scotches or just want to know what the far side of the scale tastes like.

Pair with: Contrariness.

Good for beginners? No.

Recommended cocktail for bad people: Blood and Sand.

Cost: $85

Budget Alternative: Ardbeg 10, which is even more peaty.

Who would like this: People who like Scotch. People who like telling people how sophisticated their tastes are. People who want to show off something obscure, but without a good barometer of what is obscure. People who want to taste their drink for a while after drinking it.

Did my wife like this: No.

Fun facts to make you sound smart or interesting when you’re drinking it:  The Corryvreckan is the third largest whirlpool in the world, and can have waves up to 30 feet tall. Roughly translated Ardbeg means “Small Promontory.” Part of the reason Islay Scotch tastes the way is does is the lack of trees to interfere with the peat bogs. Spelling whiskey with an “e” is a great way to annoy drinkers from the UK.

How to get this: Most good liquor stores will have some version of Ardbeg. If they don’t they’re not a good liquor store.

Ideal location for drinking:

Should you drink this: Yes.