Ardbeg – Grooves Committee Release (70cl)

Ardbeg Grooves is a Committee Release single malt in a 70cl bottle, made using what the distillery calls its grooviest casks yet. It is described as an intensely mellow dram, with smoked spices and distant bonfires fading into a haze of apples and smoked pear. The colour is likened to berbere, the reddish-orange African spice blend. The nose has smoked cinnamon and paprika, antique leather and saddle soap, with pine resin, tar and sea spray behind. The palate starts salty, then moves to treacle toffee, vanilla popcorn and salted peaches, with soot, tar and smoky barbecue notes. The finish is smoked paprika and bonfire smoke with a mellow sweetness.