Taste Off! Ardbeg Seventeen - Old versus New

Soon after purchasing Ardbeg distillery in 1997, Glenmorangie Plc released a 17 year old version of this Islay whisky to the then-tiny single malt market. The distillery had been closed from 1981 to 1987 by Hiram Walker, so the chillfiltered 40%abv expression had a very limited future. In fact, if one does some complex math, one will realize the batches bottled from 1999 to 2004 (its final year) were older than 17 years. After 2004, the Airigh Nam Beist briefly offered enthusiasts a standard release older than the Ten, otherwise everyone would have to wait until 2019 for a consistent teenage Ardbeg, the 19yo.

In 2023, Doc Bill Lumsden and his Ardbeg crew conjured up a new limited 17, in honor of the defunct whisky. Because the old Hiram Walker distillate was less peaty than the current spirit, the Glenmo/LVMH blenders mixed some unpeated(!) 17yo Ardbeg in with the peated 17yo stuff. Then, in an unusual maneuver for the brand, the resulting whisky was chillfiltered and reduced to 40%abv.

I am grateful to have very recently gotten in on a bottle split of both the old and new 17s. And here they are, quietly resting in stemmed receptacles:

Old one on the left
Lighter new one on the right
Side by side at night

Ardbeg 17 year old Hiram Walker spirit released 1997-2004 40%abv	Ardbeg 17 year old LVMH spirit released 2023 40%abv
A mix of charred things (beef and wheat toast) and fruit things (apple butter and raspberries) fills the nose, with milder notes of oysters, burlap, and metal in the background.	The nose is pretty loud, on-brand. Manure, seaweed, and soil form the top layer. Calvados and old sweat in the middle. Pound cake and snickerdoodles in the back.
The palate has multiple gears! First up: mild kiln smoke, Rose's grenadine, and vanilla frosting. Second gear (at 30 mins): Taffy, grapefruit juice, and a hint of bitter pith. Then, at the 45 minute mark: a sturdy savoriness.	Though the palate is very salty, it's much less peaty than any other current Ardbeg. Brown sugar, chlorine, mint extract, and a slight bitterness develop over time.
The kiln note sticks around through the finish, followed by orange pixy stix, lemon juice, and a subtle herbal bitterness. Good length.	"Ardbeg Ten Lite" is my first finish note, followed by, "cigarette ash to go with the chimney soot". A bit of minty toothpaste, too. Good length.
Comments: This is a great drinker, especially when you're in no mood to quaff peat and heat. Thought there's a little bit of complexity present, it's not intellectual stuff. I could use another belt of this.	Comments: It is louder and simpler than the old version, and there's really no way to get around that with the contemporary spirit. But there's a pleasant simplicity to it, and the nose is very good.
Rating: 87	Rating: 83

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As you may have heard from other bloggers, "old" Ardbeg can be fabulous. Yes, I'm sure ye olde Seventeen could have been dynamite with no chillfiltration and less dilution, but it still shines in its actual form. The new 17 was better than I had expected. Many of the distillery's annual WTF releases and the merely-good current Uigeadail have warped my view of Ardbeg. (Maybe I should stick to their bourbon cask stuff going forward?) If Dr. Bill ever decides to tinker (read: lower) Ardbeg's peat levels, I'd certainly be interested in seeing where that would lead. That's the best part of the new 17, it teases possibilities.