Ardbeg 7 Years (2017/2025) Bohemian Schnapsidee - VAME Malts
Neither finish nor distillery can be found on the label of the ‘Bohemian Schnapsidee’ from the German independent bottler VAME Malts from Munich. The website states: ‘A Wee Scottish beastie, matured in a cask that previously contained another famous Scottish drink.’ They refer to the finish as ‘Special Brew’. If you add up 1:1 here, you will quickly recognise the Ardbeg distillery with the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Years and what can the Scottish speciality brew be other than Irn-Bru?Peat meets pop culture. And now ask yourself: Is this genius or madness? We are more than curious!
The panel
Mean 83.5 · spread 7
Value for money 4/5
- Distillery
- Ardbeg
- Bottler
- VAME Malts
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Isle of Islay
- Country
- Scotland
- Age
- 7 years
- Strength
- 57.1% ABV
- Character
- peaty
Tasting
Nose
You open the bottle - and it's immediately clear: this isn't a toy. Or is it? The first wave is like an old gym changing room where someone has just opened an energy drink. There's tar, campfire smoke, orange, but also something synthetic, sweet and shrill. Gummy bears dance between BBQ sauce and vanilla malt.
Palate
What hits the tongue here is voluminous, sweet, smoky and somehow completely out of control. Imagine a mango BBQ sauce into which a tub of Swedish cardamom buns has fallen - and then someone has thrown liquorice and orange on top. Sounds confusing? It is.
Finish
The finish wants it all - immediately and simultaneously. First sweet and orangey, then suddenly salty, earthy, tarry - and then back to BBQ, fruit, smoke, a hint of gym and a final sip of gummy bear juice. Yes, it's almost artificial, but in a deliberately charming way.
Verdicts
Marcel
This Bohemian Schnapsidee from VAME Malts is a wild ride through smoky and sweet aromas, definitely not your classic fireside dram – more of a cheeky conversation starter packed with character and a touch of chaos. If you're up for unconventional drinking fun and a dash of madness, here’s a real highlight full of personality, quirks, and edges.
Sascha
The Ardbeg 2017/2025 Bohemian Schnapsidee impresses with a complex, albeit somewhat unruly structure that combines sweet fruit notes and intense smoke with an unusual finish. Despite occasional rough edges, there’s a surprisingly harmonious interplay of peat and experimental influences, making this independent bottling particularly interesting for fans of unconventional Islay whiskies.
What it is worth
We do not yet hold bottle-level auction results — that sits behind Whisky Hunter’s authenticated feed. What follows is the market for Ardbeg as a whole, which sets the weather for this bottling without pricing it.
Latest mean bid £218 across 1,142 lots · 2024-08