Ardbeg SMOKETRAILS Review By Malt Activist | PLUS Ardbeg Ardbog Comparison

[@cliffnorman178]

Thanks for a superb, passionate and entertaining review. You are going to have everyone hunting it down now.

[@MaltActivist]

Lemme know when you get it Cliff. Hope I haven't hyped it up too much !!

[@christall3168]

Professional as always! I really like the Ardbog theory.

[@MaltActivist]

RIGHT???? I think I'm onto something.

[@spawik6862]

Hello. How exactly did you get that 10 percent? You have their app which has 3 levels of discounts of 5, 7 and 10 percent. When you place a pre-order, does it automatically charge the 10 percent?

[@remymalabanan3965]

Love the review! Keep up the awesome work!

[@MaltActivist]

Thanks a ton!

[@Lamram88]

i noticed the camera quality of the video has gone up, nice work. what are you using to shoot?

[@MaltActivist]

I'm using a Canon EOS R with a 24-70 f2.0 lens --- thank you for noticing!

[@dextercool]

An excellent nose and palate breakdown - I found a seashell note in the palate as well. But I can understand if there is a backlash with this edition because this is an acquired taste (I don't mean that in a snobby way) with many of these strands of flavour being off-putting to a certain number of people - even me at times. Sometimes this doesn't taste far off a young Caol Ila but it has an earthiness that Caol Ila doesn't, with those florals. The minerality also put me in mind of Talisker. Smoketrails seems to me is a marriage of 4,5,6,7,8,9,10 year-old (or thereabouts) barrels, some of which are re-charred. Or in that ball-park. I'm no expert. But this is a sexy dram.

[@MaltActivist]

I'm glad you agree. I quite liked it frankly.

[@ronanclarke3327]

Class review - do you think that Alligator and Scorch could have a similar relationship?

[@MaltActivist]

I'm pretty sure!!!

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

Nice review.

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ardyfirouzabadi3589]

Great review Tabi.

[@MaltActivist]

Thanks dawg !!

[@sanju3136]

What’s exactly manzanilla cast please hope for your response

[@MaltActivist]

ah.. that's a long discussion. Let me get back to you soon.

[@jackthepickledhound]

Still available at Heathrow for 67. Let you know when I get it home. Every once in a while you need a 46% peat.

[@MaltActivist]

absolutely

[@glennandersen4748]

I have to get this one👍🏻

[@MaltActivist]

You should !

[@vishalnrz]

You heard it first 🙌🥂

[@justwhisky]

It’s $190 at local shop in USA.

[@MaltActivist]

hmmmm that's about what it's going for everywhere

[@yerevanarmenia3915]

What's the age of this whiskey ?

[@MaltActivist]

younger than 10

[@petevj]

Thanks for the review. Unfortunately I hate this stuff. To me it tastes like licking an ashtray that's been scrubbed with toothpaste. I think they went for a pound shop version of Traigh Bhan Batch 4 but missed the sweet/peat balance.

[@MaltActivist]

Aw really? I thought it was alright but then again to each their own. Thanks for stopping by!

[@ΣωτήρηςΤριάντης-θ5ω]

I strongly agree! Is a young, salty, poor made dram. It is a weeker wee beastie with all that saltiness. Miles away from the 10, Corryvreckan even the An Oa.

[@ricardodelorenzo3954]

Cult of Ardbeg, unite!

[@DeesoSaeed]

It is "Sanlúcar de Barrameda"

[@MaltActivist]

Thank you

[@cecilrobbins5182]

Yo, MA, Me again....finally having gotten a bottle of Smoketrails and now watching the complete video....Did you find out any more about the bastard child of Ardbog???

[@MaltActivist]

Everyone's being tight lipped about it....

[@heartbroken522]

good guess❤

[@MaltActivist]

Cheers!!

[@audiophilefool]

First off, I am a HUGE Ardbeg fan. I bought THREE bottles of this blind based on glowing review of it, and sadly this does NOT live up to the hype you created for it. This is a very young Ardbeg, I am guessing the oldest whisky in this is seven years... You can barely taste any Manzanilla if any at all, I find the youthfulness masks any flavor that the Manzanilla cask might have brought to the table. I am not saying this is a bad whisky, but it does not live up to the hype you created for it at all IMO!

[@MaltActivist]

Sorry you feel that way. I still like it honestly.

[@audiophilefool]

@@MaltActivist No need to apologize!!! It's all good my friend. Now that I have the bottle down well past the shoulder, it has improved a bit for sure. Initially I just found this to taste very young. It seems my threshold for whisky is around the 8 year mark. Anything less than that age just comes across as a brash young spirit forward malt. But with that said, I do quite enjoy Wee Beastie! Must have to do with the type of sherry casks used in that one... Keep doing what you're doing, I quite enjoy your videos. Cheers!

[@JazznRealHipHop]

Solid price. Just seen the Hypernova for $200 usd had to pass that’s just too much for nas whiskey

[@MaltActivist]

hmmm that is pretty high!

[@markusalexander]

For £67? I bought it in Gatwick today for £75 😢

[@MaltActivist]

You got robbed!

[@dieternagele3872]

@@MaltActivist I bought it for 67 pounds a few days ago at Heathrow. But that's the online preorder price which saves you 10 %. The regular price is 75 pounds. Miracle solved!

[@spawik6862]

Hello. How exactly did you get that 10 percent? You have their app which has 3 levels of discounts of 5, 7 and 10 percent. When you place a pre-order, does it automatically charge the 10 percent?

[@leoart07]

1st comment on youtube!

[@MaltActivist]

Legend!

[@bb4726-h5e]

I don't think you are pronouncing Manzanilla properly:)

[@MaltActivist]

Yes, I am not. I have been informed by a number of people now.

[@zen_gypsie2189]

Awesome another Ardbeg MEDIOCRE marketing release. My sadness continues.

[@MaltActivist]

c'mon! It's not THAT bad.

[@zen_gypsie2189]

I guess having high expectations, then the actual tasting them is a let down... I fell for several releases that were over priced with the overwhelming felling of buyers remorse. Sometimes I feel it may have been as simple as more aging time to really bring out the uniqueness. The couple of release I thought had some going , was “Kelpie, and Dark cove”. But in fairness the travel retail ones are usually more unique, and just maybe that’s the case here.

[@MaltActivist]

@@zen_gypsie2189 Look, I appreciate where you're coming from and you're right. But what you also need to know about this channel is that I'm a bit of an unashamed Ardbeg fanboy and that plays a little into my reviews. So for those who know me know that I'm just an enthusiastic fella, that's all. 😁

[@jackthepickledhound]

£67 for a liter is a no brainer.

[@marclambert8596]

Thanks for another cool and timely review…but dude, a little more focus on pronunciation would b appreciated. Where did u get “manzanya” in Spanish? It’s admittedly a bit of a pet peeve for me bec I think it’s a matter of respect, esp nowadays when it takes only one minute prep with Google translate, but u say it so often! Yikes!

[@MaltActivist]

I apologize. Looked up a few videos on KZbin and got this pronunciation. Thought it was correct.

[@Piface2099]

I would have called it "Man's Vanilla" so relax my dude

[@MaltActivist]

@@Piface2099 haha Man's Vanilla sounds really dirty!

[@krishnar3493]

@Marc Lambert Wohoo 🎉 Impressed by your kick ass sophistication. Exactly what single malt lovers love.