...where distraction is the main attraction.

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Seven Ardbeg Tens, 2000-2016 – An Introduction

Ardbeg, the brand distillery I love to hate. I love their regular range of the Ten, Uigeadail and Corryvreckan. I do not love their annual gimmicks "special" releases. I love the plain lean design of their regular releases. I do not love the lemming-like response to every new gadget they announce. And I LOVE TO HATE their marketing. Mmmmmm, the hate is delicious. Much like the Ardbeg Ten I'm drinking right now.

So, about Ardbeg Ten...

Example of the late "old" label

I have seven different samples of Ardbeg Ten right here in front of me. Here they are, listed by bottle code (for nerds!):
  1. L0 072 4ML L1033 - bottled in 2000 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Allied, pour purchased and directly deposited into my sample bottle at a mystery bar located somewhere off A846, "old" Ten label
  2. L5 290 23:12 4ML - bottled in 2005 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Allied, sample poured from my own bottle, "old" Ten label
  3. L7 323 21:19 4ML - bottled in 2007 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Allied and/or Glenmorangie Plc, sample poured from my own bottle, "old" Ten label
  4. L8 057 22:45 4ML - The first Black Mystery bottling, bottled in 2008 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Allied and/or Glenmorangie plc, bottled by Glenmorangie plc, pour purchased and directly deposited into my sample bottle at a mystery bar located somewhere off A846, "old" Ten label
  5. L10 165 12:47 6ML - bottled in 2010 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Glenmorangie plc, sample poured from my own bottle, "new" Ten label
  6. L13 003 11:13 6ML - bottled in 2013 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Glenmorangie plc, sample donated by Brett P. (thanks!), "new" Ten label
  7. L65615 - bottled in 2016 by Glenmorangie plc, distilled by Glenmorangie plc, from my own bottle, "new" Ten label
The fate of the L7 bottle. Damn you, corks!

To recap:
2016
  • The sources: 4 from my bottles, 2 pours purchased on Islay, 1 sample from a friend
  • All were bottled by the current Glenmorangie Plc ownership
  • Two were definitely distilled by previous ownership Allied Lyon
  • Three were definitely distilled by Glenmorangie Plc
  • Two (the L7 and L8) have codes preceding Glenmorangie's Plc's first official 10 year old, "Renaissance", but wiser men than I think that everything after L7 143 is actually stuff from the current ownership. Could distillate from both companies be in the batches? Seriously, that's not a rhetorical question. I don't know the answer.
  • For more information on The Black Mystery bottling, see The Ardbeg Project's page on it. (Hint: marketing.)

So why am I doing this Taste Off?

Because I just had a bunch of samples lying around? Sounds good.

Or is it because I've found the quality of Ardbeg 10yo to be consistently high over the years, and I've been curious to find out if the nose and palate are actually changing while still remaining good? Sounds better.

Because history? Sure!

2005
I will indeed be trying these seven whiskies side-by-side. With water, not for the whiskies but for my mouth. There's no telling what I'll find. This may be fruitless. Or totally fruity. In any case, please return on Friday for the results......if I survive to tell the tale of the Seven Ardbeg Tens.