I have held onto this bottle for some time, in a secret "emergency scotch" stash, and only remembered tonight that I had yet to review it! So here we go: the Ardbeg Day 2018 release, aged an undisclosed period of years in super heavily charred red wine casks (!). Very interesting - I think scotch and red wine casks go hand-in-glove. This one is bottled at 46%. Thanks to Ardbeg rep Clarke Boyer for hosting the Ardbeg event where I ordered this from Ace Beverage in Wesley Heights in Washington DC.
Here we go!:
Nose: Just tons and tons of seaweed, brine, peat, and smoke. Typical Ardbeg maritime profile. No red wine is traceable on the nose. After some time in the glass, you get wood smoke, ash, hints of ham, and a very muted underlying sweetness that is something like brown sugar. Overwhelmingly coastal - tons of sea elements here.
Mouthfeel: Medium-thin, oily.
Palate: Better on the tongue than on the nose - sweeter, more floral, oakier, less outright maritime oriented. Lots of salt. Some possible red wine tannins (a drying element). Sweet red BBQ sauce. Typical Ardbeg hot peppper / chili pepper note. Smoking/charred leather. More interesting.
Finish: Like most Ardbeg, the finish lasts an age and more. Smoke, ash, seaweed, oak, and pepper go on and on.
Verdict: Not my favorite of the Ardbeg Day special releases, but certainly not the worst either. It frankly tastes a good deal like the normal 10 year, but carries a price tag that is usually 3x the cost - not worth it, at that price. The red wine is totally buried by maritime elements - the ashy char takes over completely. An OK experiment from Ardbeg, but not a real clear out-and-out winner. If you find it for cheap, and LOVE Ardbeg, give it a shot. Otherwise - pass.
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