Ardbeg An Oa

Ardbeg An Oa

A whisky that opens up with a drop of water giving those pine resin and soft smoke notes. A softer palate of dried fruit adds to the smokiness.

The flavour of Ardbeg An Oa rests on the hallmark Ardbeg peat profile of this most famous of Islay distilleries. Considered to have a very unusual flavour, the smooth sweetness and silky butterscotch and creamy texture leads drinkers through the smoky power of this single malt scotch whisky and its distant sweet spices, but creates a singularly rounded dram with gentle malty biscuit notes too.

The Mull of Oa, on Islay, is a promontory that protects the bay and the Ardbeg distillery that sits on its banks from the very worst of marine weather. It became the name of this intriguing peated whisky in order to symbolise the way in which it is wrapped in succulent flavours to soften and broaden the traditional peated profile of this non-age statement whisky.

On release in 2017, this was the first new bottle from the Ardbeg distillery in a decade. It became a new entry-level calling card for the brand and introduced an entirely new fanbase as well as encouraging existing Ardbeg fans to see the potential in how Ardbeg balances smokiness while allowing Ardbeg’s classic fragrance and floral overtones to expand.

Cask types

Ardbeg An Oa is matured in Pedro Ximenez spicy virgin charred oak and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others. It is then vatted in the distillery’s now well-known French oak marrying vat. This allows the different maturation points of the whisky to intertwine, creating a complex and intense crescendo of flavours.

Black pepper, smoked herbs, grilled artichokes and Hallmark Ardbeg dark chocolate make this one of the most interesting non-age statement Islay malts for years.

Tasting notes

The official tasting notes from Ardbeg quietly unlock this ultimate Islay malt, celebrating its gently nutty and smooth, silky butterscotch black pepper personality.

Aroma
On the nose, you can expect aniseed, treacle, creamy toffee and dates while a distinct tropical profile emerges with juicy fruits such as peach and banana, lime and rounded with fennel and saddle soap.

Palate
There is an intense syrupy sweetness to the taste of this single malt scotch derived from the sweet Pedro Ximenez spicy virgin charred oak casks. You’ll find cigar-smoked herbs here too with burning applewood, dark chocolate, and aniseed wrapped in smooth silky milk chocolate.

Finish
The finish is wonderfully smooth and conveys a lingering sense of huge syrupy sweetness and distant subtle smoke that underpins this dram with smoky power. This is a three-dimensional peaty malt with a curious suggestion of being well able to hold its ground alongside all the Islay malts.

Bottled at 46.6% and with a ppm of 50, this is a wonderful addition to the Ardbeg stable and a guaranteed hit with anyone who appreciates the treacle toffee, smoky tea leaves, and cigar smoke personality of this terrific Islay whisky maker.