[June, 2018]  I had this dram during this year's "Feis Ile" tasting session.  For about five years in a row I found every new Feis Ile Ardbeg edition weaker than the one before so I am curious if the Grooves can change this unfortunate legacy…

The first impression on the nose is very Kelpie-ish with lots of peaty, herbal and eucalyptus notes (I do not like these because they remind me of bitter cough medicine when I was young).  The initial mouthfeel is warming but without any coating effect and a minor astringent feeling (heavy tannins from virgin oak).  Most probably the distillery owns a lot of virgin Caucasian oak casks that provide the eucalyptus notes and heavy tannins (you know, the owners of Ardbeg do not have a bourbon distillery in their portfolio so they have difficulties to source enough bourbon casks for the ever increasing production due to the ongoing whisky boom.  Consequently, they have to use virgin oak casks instead and they sourced some wood from Caucasia what is cheaper but it adds different flavours to the whisky than American or European oak.  Nobody tried this before so this flavour profile was unknown so far - but what can you do else if you run short of high quality oak supply from the traditional sources?).  The taste is very sweet with flavours of red fruits and dry peat.  Better than the nose, for sure.  The finish is of medium length and very chalky and mineral with a drying end (papers).  With water the dram gets less sweet and more peaty but the chalky and mineral notes increase too, what I do not like.  By the way, there is not much wine influence to detect at all neither in the nose nor the taste or finish.

Okay, this one is better than the Kelpie but still I do not really like it (I find the standard 10-years old much better, without doubts).  My best guess is that Ardbeg desperately looks out for ways to get rid of the virgin Caucasian oak casks that do not fit into their standard editions like the 10-years old or the Corryvreckan because of the strong unusual flavours they impose.  But the good news is, the second fill of the Caucasian casks will be much better and less aggressive, for sure...

So in the garden on the grill or just in between times (eg on a fair ;-)), he can not necessarily score big. But tasted with peace, he already shows his qualities. Whether he is priced or just in the frame, ultimately everyone must decide for themselves and their wallet.

Finally a twist on Ardbeg, lovely apple-pecan-pie on the nose. A bit too thin on the palate though.

These grooves with 46% vol. really does not have to hide behind the cask strength version. Especially in nosing, the malt has a lot to offer very interesting, intense and of course delicious flavors. The combination of the typical Islay notes, the pepper-BBQ aromas, the oak-leather spice and the creamy vanilla and berry notes simply make for a great overall package, making it even more voluminous than the CR for me. I think that's amazing, because I'm really totally fassstärkenversaut. Of course, the malt pushes slightly less forward in the mouth, which I do not consider a disadvantage.

The aroma without water is more distinctive, but the aroma after adding water is more rounded, but the spiciness of the tail is more obvious. I like the aroma of the charcoal grilled meat before adding water. The mouthfeel is soft with some dryness. It is not as good as you think of the flavor of too many wine barrels. You can still feel Abbe's peat, peat and smoke more than berry fruity fragrance at the end.

Just a small sample at a fair. Did not convince me to buy a full bottle. A good old TEN is far better value.

For me it's rather virgin oak than ex-wine casks. Slightly thin at 46%. But not bad.