Name: Ardbeg Wee Beastie
Type: Whiskey (Single Malt Scotch)
Origin: Islay, Scotland
ABV: 40%
Price: $46.99 from my local Total Wine and Spirits
While the summer here in the central midwest has in my opinion hovered more on the mild side, the weather this week would not have been one to schedule anything substantial outside…that is unless you were planning on doing it in the rain. We’ve had storms all week, all at various times of the day and night plus an elongated power outage. Needless to say, this was not the week to attempt to plan a cigar review being done outside. So while the cigars were sparsely enjoyed this week, I was able to find a new whiskey to try. I hit up my local Total Wine and Spirits last weekend to pick up a few cigars and peruse the liquid libations. While venturing through the scotch aisle, I came upon today’s review. The Wee Beastie is the newest expression from Ardbeg and the youngest (5 years old) that they offer. And at the price listed above, it was an instant purchase. And with the weather being non-cooperative, I felt this was the perfect to introduce this whiskey to our reader here.
The color on this whiskey carries a yellow-gold hue similar to other whiskeys I have reviewed in the past. The nose is similar to many offerings from the Islay region of Scotland: Smoke and seawater are the two notes I get right away. The front of the palette brings a certain sweetness coupled with a hints of toffee before hitting the middle of the palette where the smokiness begins settling in. Given that this whiskey was aged in both Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks, I can see where parts of the flavors originate from. The finish and aftertaste on the Wee Beastie rounds out the palette with lots of smoke with touches of pepper.
With all that being said, this comes in lighter in body than something like the Uigedail or Cask Strength Laphroaig with a quick and lighter response on the palette as those above so it is definitely a little bit easier to get into if you are new to Islay Scotches. Price wise, this one is really hard to beat. The Uigedail is usually around $80; Cask Strength Laphroaig is in the $50-60 range. Under $50 for this is fantastic.
If I were going to pair this with a cigar, I would want something full bodied and strong flavor to counterbalance the smoke and peat that comes nearly standard with Islay scotches, the Wee Beastie being no different. The correct medium bodied cigar would be a nice complement to the whiskey, if the cigar were to have a spicier profile.
Overall, this is an excellent addition to the Ardbeg family and will be looking forward to picking up another bottle when this one is finished.
Final Score: 9.25/10
A quick reminder to those who like to play in Pick’em Leagues and like free cigars, I announced our annual NFL Pick’em League earlier in the week.
Thank you very much for reading and I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.
