Ardbeg’s 10 Best Scotch Whiskies Of All Time, Ranked

(Photo: Ardbeg/Instagram)

As far as peated scotches go, few do a better job at making them than Ardbeg. If you’re familiar with the brand, you’ll know Ardbeg is no stranger to some wild releases, which is why we wanted to raise a glass to the best Ardbeg scotch whiskies from this delightfully left-of-center Islay producer.

Ardbeg has branded itself as the punk rock brand of the whisky world, and the intrepid team of rebels at the distillery aren’t afraid to get wacky and bizarre when it comes to their releases, which has earned Ardbeg a special place in our hearts. If you’re curious to check out this eclectic list of eccentric scotches, read on.

Some of these whiskies are inspired by mythical creatures locals swear reside on Islay, and others mature in quirky casks. We’ve taken a deep dive into our spirits review archive and pulled ten Ardbeg scotch whiskies with the highest Raided Scores®, making them what we believe to be the best Ardbeg scotches of all time.

The Ranking Process

Bottle Raiders aggregates reviews from the top spirits critics on the internet and averages out their scores to determine one final Raided Score® that informs consumers of the quality of a spirit in an easy and straightforward way (Think Rotten Tomatoes for whisky). This list ranks the 10 best Ardbeg scotches of all time, according to trusted critics.

To qualify for the list, each bottle of Ardbeg must have been reviewed by at least three trusted experts. This is a way to ensure that specific bottle is truly and empirically that good, as opposed to simply having its score swung heavily by one or two favorable reviews. Ardbeg scotches on the list will be sorted from great to the very best based on their Raided Scores®.

If there’s ever a Raided Score® tie, the tiebreaker will go to the whiskey with more aggregated reviews, as we believe the score means more if it’s been reviewed positively by more critics. If the number of reviews is also the same, we’ll go based on our house review score — it is our list, after all. If all of those factors are tied, we’ll simply sort alphabetically and list it as a tie.

One last thing before we give up the goods: we aren’t including multiple years of certain Ardbeg whiskies. In other words, you’ll see multiple whiskeys from Ardbeg in our database, but you won’t see more than one of the same bottles from different years because that would be so boring. Come on. Instead of including different years of the same bottle, we just include the one that scored best and kept moving along.

Without further ado, let’s get our glencairns ready and check out the ten best Ardbeg scotches of all time.

10 Best Ardbeg Scotch Whiskies, Ranked

10. Ardbeg Grooves Committee Release

See What The Critics Think

Ardbeg’s Grooves Committee Release is — for lack of a better word — groovy.

This experimental whisky is about as mellow as a scotch whisky can be and was matured in heavily re-charred wine casks. With an ABV of 51.6%, this scotch is perfect for drinkers who want a softer taste of Islay.

Whisky Cast wrote in its review that Ardbeg’s signature smokiness is tempered by plenty of vanilla, honey and a kiss of heather. Cinnamon dust adds a bit of warmth, and chocolate with cloves complement what would be an otherwise smoky whisky.

9. Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release

See What The Critics Think

Ardbeg marches to the beat of its own drum, and that’s why we dig its drams. Ardbeg Blaaack Committee is all about embracing Ardbeg’s “black sheep” mentality and celebrating that it’s good to be a little different.

This particular scotch was matured in New Zealand Pinot Noir barrels before it was bottled at cask strength. Ardbeg Blaaack Committee has an ABV of 50.7%.

With a nose loaded with plenty of meaty, smoked aromas coupled with a faint lemon cream throughline, Ardbeg Blaaack definitely promises it’s going to hit different. The palate is a fruity symphony, with mangos, lemons and sweet plums interlaced with smoke and a mineral-driven spine. Ardbeg Blaaack finishes with ash, smoke, and barbecue making it pure liquid badassery.

8. Ardbeg Spectacular 2024 Ardbeg Day Release

See What The Critics Think

Each year, on the final Saturday of The Islay Festival, Ardbeg Day takes place. In April 2024, Ardbeg announced the pending release of this dark, circus-themed whisky. Ardbeg Spectacular was the scotch brand’s first whisky release to be matured in port casks, and the brand shared that the whisky boasted a “spectacle of flavors.”

Spectacle is the appropriate word here, and Ardbeg Spectacular 2024 Ardbeg Day Release is a symphony of toffee, smoldering oak, and herbaceous pine at first whiff. The palate is full of butterscotch, vanilla bean and white grape from the port casks. Ardbeg Spectacular finishes spectacularly with apples, pears, smoke and salinity coupled with some blueberries that burst throughout.

This scotch whisky is unbelievably complex and undoubtedly fitting for a celebration.

7. Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale

See What The Critics Think

The Harpy’s Tale is a mixture of sweetness and smoke. The inaugural release of the brand’s Anthology Collection, The Harpy’s Tale was aged in a mixture of bourbon and Sauternes wine casks. The whiskey features a suggested retail price of $164.99 and an ABV of 46%.

With oodles of minerality coupled with orange blossom water and a lemony quality from the Sauternes casks, this scotch has base notes of buttercream and smoke, yielding a heady aromatic combination. The palate is sweet, with orange peel, rosewater and smoke, making it nothing short of stunning. The Harpy’s Tale concludes with vanilla cream, lemon zest, minerality and toffee.

The Harpy’s Tale is described as “a battle between sweet and smoke” by Ardbeg Director of Distilling and Whiskey Creation Dr. Bill Lumsden, and that battle ends in victory for us all.

6. Ardbeg Anthology: The Unicorn’s Tale 14 Year Old

See What The Critics Think

Do you believe in unicorns?

Well, it seems like the folks at Ardbeg sure do. This whisky is the second release within Ardbeg’s Anthology Series, which celebrates mythical creatures — and according to Ardbeg, some individuals swear they’ve seen unicorns on Islay.

Ardbeg’s The Unicorn’s Tale is a special release in that it is the first scotch to be matured in Madeira wine casks, making it a unicorn in its own right from the brand. Clocking in at 46% ABV and retailing for a suggested price of $159.99, Ardbeg’s The Unicorn’s Tale is the ultimate scotch that appeals to wine lovers.

With a nose loaded with berries and barbecue smoke, coupled with wisps of vanilla bean and ash, the Unicorn’s Tale promises to be a distinctive dram at first whiff. The palate continues that berry-driven through line with stewed fruits and charcoal smoke, with added hits of smoked meat and cocoa.

The Unicorn’s Tale reaches a legendary conclusion, with vanilla and buttercream interlaced with slate.

5. Ardbeg 2006 Airigh Nam Beist

See What The Critics Think

The name “Airigh Nam Beist” translates from Gaelic to “shelter, or pasture of the animals,” and is also the name of a small loch near the distillery. Ardbeg describes Airigh Nam Beist as an important loch that delivers peaty waters of Uigeadail to the distillery.

Though this stunning and complex scotch is classic Islay through and through, it’s a rare expression, and you may have to hunt for this bottle. This whisky is 16 years old and has an ABV of 46%. Ardbeg’s 2006 Airigh Nam Beist boasts a soft nose with peat, seaweed, molasses and smoked bacon, according to Distiller. The palate boasts marshmallow and chocolate interlaced with brine, and Ardbeg concludes with a finish that lasts for an age.

The outlet labeled this expression “a modern classic.”

4. Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release

See What The Critics Think

Ardbeg claims this whisky is “the darkest Ardbeg ever.” The 2016 release matured in a mixture of ex-bourbon and dark sherry casks. Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee clocks in at 55% ABV and is a powerful, intense and brooding pour.

The aroma is full of char, brine and stewed dark plums. Ardbeg Dark Cove committee really kicks things up a notch with an ashy and peaty palate full of cocoa and toffee, interlaced with a bit of sherry to balance things out. The finish is long and sweet, with pleasant ash.

Dark Cove Committee proves that the dark side never tasted so good.

3. Ardbeg Ten

Buy it Now | See What The Critics Think

One of the best Ardbeg expressions on this list is also the most affordable. According to Wine-Searcher, Ardbeg Ten is found for an average price of $67 in the U.S. This whisky is aged for 10 years in ex-bourbon casks and bottled non-chill-filtered at an ABV of 46%.

The nose is full of that signature, big, Ardbeggian Islay smoke. There’s a charred quality and earthiness to Ardbeg 10 Years Old, making it the perfect scotch to bring on a camping trip. With a palate loaded with burnt marshmallow, peat and smoke, this is a classic massive Islay bruiser. Ardbeg 10 Years Old concludes with plenty of warmth and heat.

Ardbeg 10 Years Old is a great value, earthy and smoky scotch, earning it the No. 3 spot on our list.

2. Ardbeg Uigeadail

Buy it Now | See What The Critics Think

This scotch is named after the water source near Ardbeg, and it clocks in at 54.2% ABV. The non-chill filtered whisky was matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry Oloroso casks. Wine-Searcher reports an average price of $95 in the U.S.

Uigeadail is dense and peaty on the nose. On the palate, it’s thick, oily and aggressively peaty with some sweet notes of vanilla, fig and stewed fruit. The finish is long and slow with plenty of smoke.

This potent and powerful beast is nothing short of delicious.

1. Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Batch 5

Buy it Now | See What The Critics Think

The No. 1 whisky from Ardbeg on our list dropped in September 2023 and is the fifth edition of Ardbegh’s Traigh Bhan series. These whiskies honor Islay’s famous Traigh Bhan Beach, and this whisky aged for 19 years in a mixture of bourbon and Oloroso casks. It was bottled at 46.2% ABV and has a suggested retail price of $350.

With a rich nose loaded with a mixture of lemon, blueberry, lemon tart and vanilla, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 promises to be an unexpected pour. The palate is full of ash, berry, apricot and minerality and it segues into a finish loaded with blueberry crumble, vanilla custard and barbecue smoke.

A beautifully complicated mixture of fruit and smoke, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Batch 5 has definitely earned the No. 1 spot on our list!