Review 4# Ardbeg Blaaack 2020 Limited Release

ABV: 46%

Region: Islay

Distillery: Ardbeg

New Zealand Pinot Noir Cask finish

For Ardbeg day 2020 the distillery blessed us with this enticing whisky in a mysterious black bottle. I was intrigued about this bottle from the moment I heard about it was was excited to find out just how much of an influence the wine casks had on the whisky.

On the first pour you are greeted by the unmistakable Ardbeg smoke. Initially peaty and fruity it is an inviting dram with a lot of bark, but not a huge bite. By that I mean it is constantly threatening to send a burning fireball right up your nose, but no matter how far you stick your nose in the glass the burn never comes. I find red berries, cherry and raspberry but quite sweet, almost jam like.

On the taste you can definitely tell there is something different about this whisky. The classic Islay flavours are all present such as smoke, brine, iodine, pepper but not as in your face as others from this region. I think the pinot noir casks help to tone down the aggressiveness in this dram and the smoke comes across as more ashy rather than peaty. The red fruit again appears in the taste and is certainly like a cherry or raspberry jam with sweet and sour sparring with each other.

The finish is tart and dry and really not as long lasting as other Ardbeg expressions, its not as oily either and it is noticeable in the finish. The flavour is pretty much gone after a couple of minutes and isn’t really something you can ‘chew’ on.

Overall: 85/100

I did enjoy this whisky and the pinot noir cask finish is rare to find, it brought something completely different than what I have ever found before, however this it isn’t my favourite. I still prefer the more citrus sweetness and bite of the Uigeadail and the 10, both of which come in around half the price. It is a nice bottle to have around and I’m sure I will find myself reaching for it from time to time.

Please see my last review on Ardbeg Uigeadail here: https://thedramreport.blogspot.com/2020/11/review-3-ardbeg-uigeadail.html

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