Whisky Review 7 - Ardbeg 10

We're back on Islay and to one of the most iconic names in the whisky industry, the revered Ardbeg.

Ardbeg 10 is their entry level bottling in the range and good to see that once again it still carries an age statement (ironically the bottlings above this don't). Aged for 10 years in ex bourbon casks this is an Islay lover's dream with a lovely combination of dry peat and citrus spice for the ex bourbon maturation.

Owned by Moet Hennessey who also own the famous Glenmorangie distillery, Ardbeg is situated on the south east coast of Islay neighbouring Lagavulin and has a total production capacity of 1.3million litres of spirit a year.

Ardbeg became more and more popular but as recently as the early 1990's the distillery was mothballed due to lack of demand and cost. As wella s the Ardbeg 10 the standard range includes the Uigeadail (pronnounced oog-a-dal) and the Corryvreckan (corry-vreck-an).

Malt Music

Being from around Manchester you grow up with a certain affinity for the area's music and identity. That aside I still think this is a perfect music match for this dram and reflects the personality of both the band and the whisky at the same time. The harmonious high notes and melodic deep background work alongside each other carrying you along with it like a rolling river.

It will make you high, and it will make you low. It's non other than This is the One from The Stone Roses

Whisky Review 5 - Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley

The concept of Octomore is a simple one... To create a whisky using the most heavily peated malted barley imaginable. This Octomore in fact contained malt peated to a staggering  258ppm (or parts per million to you and me). Just to put this into perspective, Laphroaig 10 is peated to around 50ppm, and no I'm not missing any numbers there.

The brain child of industry legend Jim McEwan, Octomore is produced and distilled at Bruichladdich on the Isle of Islay an area renowned for it's big hitting peated spirit.

Another aspect that makes this particular bottle that little bit more special is that the barley used was grown and then distilled on Islay so this really is a Islay thoroughbred.

Malt Music

For me what works alongside this big, bold and yet tuneful Islay malt is something a bit different. The Talking Fish from Ibibio Sound Machine, a big hitting and fast paced Afro Beat 8 piece band from London. Singer Eno Williams concentrates lyrical content around Southern Nigerian folk stories which for me adds to this with Bruichladdich's approach to origin and belonging. Give it a try!