Where Distilling Meets Grilling? Seems Like a Stretch

A bottle of Scotch that comes with its own mini wood smoker. An interesting idea and maybe a cute Father’s Day gift- but reeks of gimmick (or maybe that’s just the peat we smell).

“Islay is an ancient land, rich with prehistoric peat (the thing that makes our spirit the smokiest). For centuries, the smoke has been a part of our distilling. Now, the time has come for you to make it part of your grilling…” Ardbeg.

The Ardbeg BBQ Smoker gift pack comes with a bottle of Ardbeg An Oa, “the perfect spirit for sippin’ and tearin’” (I’m sorry, what?), the smoker, and a booklet; probably the instructions. The ‘smoker’ is a puck you fill with wood chips and place in your grill to smoke your food.

Image via Ardbeg Website

It begs the question, why the need for a gift package in the first place? Between the reviews and ratings, the An Oa holds its own with respectable impressions across the board. It is common around Christmas time to see gift packs with a bottle and kitschy logo-clad glassware. It feels like a cheapening of the brand when the company pushes a product with a gift to make it look more desirable.

From where I’m standing, all you need is a good whiskey, which is gift enough. And, let’s be real – Ardbeg already has plenty of smoke to go around.

If you take the plunge and get the Ardbeg Smoker Gift set, Please be sure to use hardwood free from resin or inclusions (glue, nails, bugs, chemicals, paint, etc.).