Country – Region: Scotland – Islay
Distillery: Ardbeg
Type: Single Malt
Age: 5
Cask: Ex-Bourbon & Oloroso 
ABV: 47.4%
Proof: 94.8
Price: $45

Nose: Starts with vegetal peat. Apple pie, ashy, damp earth notes appear and they later join with metallic, burnt plastic, asparagus oil and vanilla.

Palate: A strong start with vanilla. Black pepper, toasted oak, cinnamon bark, dark chocolate

Finish: A balanced medium long finish with white peppers, tarry notes, dry Riesling traces. 

Ardbeg joined the young Islay whisky trend with Ardbeg Wee Beastie. This 5 year old bottle came with great expectations. The price tag around $45 is impressive and added up to the expectations. I have tasted some young Ardbeg bottlings before, but affording those would be a little bit difficult now. 

I had the first chance to taste the Wee Beastie with dear Cameron George, on the first days of Covid-19, well before it was released. Honestly, I was impressed and got a bottle when I had the chance.

Nose impressed me heavily. Intense youth feeling coming from the Wee Beastie was surprising. Not always you can appreciate that young metallic nose with the aftertaste of asparagus oil.

Palate brings out a joyous profile. It is not the best palate I got from an Ardbeg, but for the youth, I do like the harmony.

Finish wasn't that interesting until some dry Riesling notes hit me with a medium minerality.

What about the peat? We are talking Ardbeg, there should be some peat right? Well, it is one thing that also impressed me. The peat aromas are well rounded and distributed through the experience.

Overall, Ardbeg gave us a nice, young, wee beastie to enjoy. The only problem I see for this bottle is again the price tag. At certain times, the price will not be that far away from the pricing of Corryvreckan or Uigeadail. That might divert customers' choices in different ways.