Ardbeg 10 vs Ardbeg Fermutation
Official Bottlings | Comparison
What Difference Do Three Weeks Make?
What do the following have in common: Flower Power, spaceships, roller-coasters, maelstroms, pirates, dark coves, dragons, black sheep, and kelpies? Not much at first sight, and not much at second sight either. And what is it that these things have in common with whisky? Literally nothing. But you might be thinking of Ardbeg committee releases by now, and that’s not only down to the title of my review, right?
Whisky also sells by the stories that it tells, and the people at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton do a really good job when it comes to that. They come up with new themes, motives, and narratives for their Ardbeg Committee releases every year, but also constantly deliver the same high quality in creativity, design, and storytelling. They do make a name for their Ardbegs but also manage to keep things classy and discreet when it comes to Glenmorangie. So, here’s to the people at LVMH and their excellent marketing. If only the content of the bottles and not just the increasing price tags were up to their game.
Don’t get me wrong. I think Ardbeg makes some of the finest whiskies out there. The classic 10yo is a benchmark, the Uigeadail is great, the Twenty Somethings can be stunning, and the Dark Cove is one of my all-time favourites. Yet, recent committee releases have been rather disappointing (as has been the case with Grooves and Blaaack) or utterly awful (Drum and Arrrrrrrdbeg!). It seems that prices of Ardbeg committee bottles have continued to climb ever higher with each passing year, while the quality of the whisky has been plummeting. In this sense, these annual releases are typical of current developments in the whisky world, but there’s also a strange glimmer of hope, sparked anew every year that this release might finally catch up with the good old days and deliver not only in story and design, but also in content.
So, what about this year’s Fermutation? The bottle cost £150/€180 and sold out within minutes when it appeared online. So it would seem the appetite for what LVMH are doing shows no sign of abating. The prices have not yet reached their limits.
In the days after the release of Fermutation, social media was flooded with pictures of unopened bottles and tasting notes that were copied and pasted straight from the marketing brochure. Meanwhile, turnover on the secondary market was high in velocity and numbers. Ein Schelm, der Böses dabei denkt (Evil to him who evil thinks). The heat was on, but, as things go these days, it died down as quickly as it came into being. In the weeks that followed, people began to talk about other things and it would appear not many have tasted the Fermutation yet. Now, as the dust has settled and people chase other bottles, we can lean back and ponder the question whether the Fermutation was actually worth the hassle.
In case you were planning on flipping the bottle, the answer is a definite and unapologetic yes. Given the high demand and the limited availability of 8000 bottles, you could easily resell this Ardbeg on an overheated secondary market and make a net gain out of it. At the time of writing, secondary prices are around £400 in the UK and €300 in mainland Europe. Flipper’s paradise.
Yet, while immediate return rates are there, they’re not as high as they used to be. Be that as it may, I don’t think we’ll see the end of flipping any time soon, and I have no solution to this pest. However, it would be nice to see the flipping end and more bottles being opened and enjoyed – unless you collect them.
Is the Fermutation worth the hassle? If you’re a collector and wanted to add this one to your shelf, the answer is up to your own discretion, and I have my fingers crossed that if you are still looking for a bottle, you’re able to purchase one at the inaugural price.
But what about the whisky? Is it worth it? As the story to the Fermutation goes, the boiler at Ardbeg distillery broke down in November 2007. As a result distilling had to suddenly halt while the washbacks were full of fermenting wash. Instead of emptying the washbacks, Dr. Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of distilling and whisky creation, had the washbacks opened to let the contents ferment until the boiler was fixed.
Whether the extended exposure of the wash to the Islay air added flavours to the whisky or whether this is just a marketing story is up to you to decide. Be that as it may, the wash for the Fermutation had been fermenting for three weeks instead of the usual three days before it was double distilled, matured for 13 years in ex-bourbon casks, and bottled at 49.4% ABV. The hype was real, and people were obviously eager to get their hands on this one.
To compare and contrast, I’ve poured a dram of the standard Ardbeg 10 to see how the Fermutation stacks up. Full disclosure: I usually have an open bottle of the 10 on my shelf, but I had the Fermutation pass me by given my growing disappointment with the committee releases over the last few years. I was given a sample of the Fermutation from a whisky buddy who is one of those rare and fine people who buy whiskies to open and share them with others. Here’s to you, MacJack!
Review
2022 Committee Release, 13yo, 49.4% ABV
£150 retail and rising on secondary
Nose
Fresh and herbal with menthol, sage and lovage, but there’s also damp and musty notes like going for a walk through an autumnal forest. I find this quite intriguing and enjoyable. A touch of lime, grilled pineapple and pears, with some ash notes coming through.
Palate
A sweet arrival that turns mineral and ashy with cold smoke, along with a citrus note. The grilled pineapple and pears from the nose are present, as are the herbal aspects. Volatile whiffs of turpentine are also in the mix. The finish is short to medium length and maintains those mineral and ashy notes.
The Dregs
The nose is great, but the Fermutation loses me on the palate. The rest of the journey just can’t keep up with the intriguing nose and falls apart rather quickly. A pity, as it all started so well. The Fermutation is a good whisky, and it’s nice to have tried it, but I have no regrets that I let this one pass me by.
So, is it worth the money? Certainly not when it comes to the delivery which is what I’m after when it comes to whisky. Good marketing, high demand, and an overheated secondary market certainly have their share in the £150/€180 price tag, and I’m sure the next committee releases will be even more expensive. However the experience is just not worth the financial outlay. Ironically, it might be a good thing that not many have bought this bottle to open and enjoy. Sealed bottles can hardly disappoint one’s palate. On the other hand, it would be good to see more committee releases opened and tried so more people could taste and learn what they’re getting into.
Score: 6/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Review
2019 bottling, 46% ABV, presumably fermented for three days, matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels, no added colour, and no chill-filtration
£45-£50 widely available
Nose
A pleasant and aromatic profile, cold smoke and ashes, green apples with vanilla cream and a dash of lemon. Mineral notes, some liquorice and anise
Palate
Creamy and smoky with those mineral notes ever present. Green apples with vanilla cream and a squeeze of lemon. Cold charcoal smoke, some liquorice and the anise from the nose remains. The finish is of medium length and maintains many of the elements from the nose.
The Dregs
A benchmark dram and a fine drop – especially for the price. The smokiness and fruit add a certain quality to it. This one has a lot to offer without losing itself.
One further question remains: What difference do those three weeks make? The Fermutation is not as smoky and ashy as the standard 10, and it has some herbal and pineapple notes that I didn’t find in the 10, which is more green apples and vanilla. The mineral notes are present in both, so are the citric aspects – but the 10 leans more on the lemon side, while the Fermutation is more on the lime side. The turpentine might also be an outcome of the longer fermentation, but it’s a world away from what Jamaican rums have to offer. So, three weeks certainly do make a difference, and I’d like to see more distilleries experimenting with their fermentation process. Yet, given the fully automated and tightly clocked production processes these days, this is not likely. A shame as there seems much left to explore.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. AC