Binny's, Ardbeg, Talisker & Lagavulin An Impromptu Tasting & Impressions

[RyeNot]

Well, I was in Chicago the other day and wanted to grab a bottle. I had read much here about Ardbeg so I was going to give it a go. They even had a nice promotion pack with a couple of glasses - which I needed. When I was looking at the shelf, I saw a note that said they offered free tastings.

Talisker 10 is my go to scotch. At Binny's I tried the Ardbeg and noted that it was decidedly less smooth than the Talisker To which I am accustom. I was discussing this with the manager and he suggested trying both Talisker Storm and Lagavulin 16. The Storm was nice, but not worth $5 more than the Talisker 10. The Lagavulin was also very nice, very smooth and quite tasty. Given that I have Talisker at home, I left with a bottle of Lagavulin 16 & a Binny's Glencairn glass.

Given the ~$15 price difference, I don't see switching from Talisker to Lagavulin for an everyday dram, but having it in my stash for special days (however you define them) is likely.

Notes:

Binny's - Kudos to Binny's for having the option to take a sip or two of product to help in making an informed decision. This kept me from buying a bottle I would not have enjoyed.

Ardbeg - To my palate, this is a harsh dram. It tastes immature and I did not enjoy it. It wasn't hateful, but neither did it call my name. I know it has its fans, and I am not saying they are wrong, it is just not for me.

Talisker Storm - This is a no age statement whisky. To me it's profile is similar to the Talisker 10. It was a nice dram, but to me it is not worth an extra $5 over the Talisker 10. Also, I am not a fan of the no age statement trend, so will not support that. Fortunately, I don't have to give up anything to get the Talisker 10 & I even save a few $$$.

Lagavulin - This is a very nice dram. It is smoky and flavorful while being as smooth as silk. I wouldn't say it is better or worse than Talisker 10, but it is different, both are quite good. While this won't be my daily dram, it will be in my stash.

[Scotch Neat]

To me Lagavulin 16 is one of the best my only gripe is that they add coloring.

Ardbeg 10 in my opinion is rough, does not taste like a 10 year old scotch. Ugidal is much better.

Store had Talisker Storm for $34 so I grabbed one, was not terrible but I would not consider it a good dram as it too was kind of rough.

Haven't had one in a while but the Laphroaig 10 cask strength I had about a year ago was nice.