Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla Edition
46% ABV - Islay, Scotland
Nose: Light sea spray mingles with the scent of an oiled rope, accompanied by hints of petrichor and roasted nuts. There’s a touch of diesel and a faint note of gooseberry. Surprisingly, there are not many of the Sherried fruits I expected from a Manzanilla influence.
Taste: Thick, sooty smoke takes the lead, with dark fruits finally emerging (there they are!). The overall profile feels well-balanced, though not overly complex.
Finish: Smoke and char dominate, followed by oak wood, peppery spice, and an oily, lingering finish.
I’ve worked through my bottle of Ardbeg Smoketrails rather quickly! It’s a 1-litre travel retail edition—one of the perks of airport duty-free shopping—and I’ve shared it with a few friends along the way. I picked this up during my travels through a German airport in late summer 2023.
There’s already a second release in the Smoketrails series, a Côte Rôtie maturation. I know it’s a full maturation rather than a finish because, during a distillery tour, the guide mentioned that Ardbeg doesn’t reuse casks after maturing their distillate. Personally, I’d love to try just the sherry component of this release. There’s no age statement, but I’d guess it’s likely in the 5-8 year range.
I’d buy another bottle if the opportunity arose—duty-free shopping can be unpredictable, so it often comes down to a game-time decision. This would definitely be high on my list, though I have to admit, a Laphroaig PX Cask could easily tempt me away!
Note: I decided to experiment with GPT-4o to help refine this review after training it with some of my previous ones.
Details: Travel Retail Edition. Batch SP/MZL: 2022/01-ST. Aged in American Oak and Manzanilla Sherry Casks.
Tasting Notes (Official): Deeper, pungent flavours hurtle across the palate: soot, dark chocolate and Brazil nuts. Plumes of pine, fennel and storm-churned sea spray soar overhead, leaving a trail of saddle soap and aniseed.
Tasted 2 October 2024. (Posted 4 October 2024.)
