Ardbeg Scorch Committee Release
Ardbeg's Committee Release 2021 was the Scorch. The malt was stored in extremely burnt out ex-bourbon barrels. The associated story tells of a dragon that was resident in Ardbeg's Warehouse 3.As usual for Ardbeg, this Committee Release Malt is only available for purchase directly from Ardbeg on Ardbeg Day. Probably, very few bottles actually make it to the tasting - most will probably stand locked in collector's cabinets.
The panel
Mean 76.0 · spread 14
Value for money 2/5
- Distillery
- Ardbeg
- Type
- Single Malt
- Region
- Isle of Islay
- Country
- Scotland
- Strength
- 51.7% ABV
- Character
- spicy
Tasting
Nose
The opening is, as expected, biting. Intense BBQ and campfire aromas. A certain meaty, tar-like quality is rounded out by sweet vanilla notes. For us, the malt is (unusually for Ardbeg) slightly medicinal.
Palate
The taste is - after smelling - surprisingly sweet. Vanilla and caramel nestle with intense oak and the taste of burnt toast. Dryness and pepper spice complement the sweetness on the palate.
Finish
The intense Scorch stays in the mouth for a long time. Intensely woody with smoke and ash, it becomes a bit rubbery at the back.
Verdicts
Marcel
The Ardbeg Scorch surprises with its smoky intensity and the sweet counterbalance that makes the drinking experience exciting. Still, the high price feels more like that of a collector’s piece than pure drinking pleasure – a whisky you admire more than you regularly enjoy.
Sascha
A well-structured, complex Islay malt with a balanced interplay between smoky notes and sweet vanilla aromas. Nevertheless, the quality of the flavor doesn’t fully justify the inflated market price, making it more of a limited collector’s item than an everyday dram.
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