Ardbeg · Islay
Ardbeg 10 Year Old
Ardbeg 10 Year Old is a single malt from Islay, Scotland, bottled at 46% ABV with a 10-year age statement. Tar, lime and soot, then a long smoked-vanilla finish. Bracing rather than comfortable.
Compiled by WhiskeyCask Editorial · Last verified 2026-07-30
Flavour profile
Broadly smoky, full-bodied, spicy.
View as table
| Axis | Ardbeg 10 Year Old |
|---|---|
| Peaty | 9 |
| Sweet | 3 |
| Fruity | 4 |
| Spicy | 5 |
| Woody | 4 |
| Sherried | 1 |
| Cereal | 4 |
| Oily | 7 |
Where it sits in our record
Of the 32 bottles here we can cost per litre of pure alcohol, Ardbeg 10 Year Old is the 18th cheapest, at £149.
It is joint-highest in the set on peaty.
Within the 35 bottles on record it is one of 16 single malt entries and one of 7 from Islay.
What it's good for
- first serious peated malt
- value at 46%
Worth knowing
Ardbeg's own page states the whisky is matured solely in ex-bourbon casks and is non-chill filtered, with no sherry component at all — unusual for a flagship Islay malt. It is bottled at 46% where most competitors at the price sit at 40%.
If you like this, try
Nearest matches by flavour vector across our own eight-axis scoring — not by brand or price.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
48% ABV · No age statement · £44
More woody: 6 against 4 here
Laphroaig 10 Year Old
40% ABV · 10 years · £45
Less fruity: 2 against 4 here
Lagavulin 16 Year Old
43% ABV · 16 years · £85
More woody: 6 against 4 here
Talisker 10 Year Old
45.8% ABV · 10 years · £42
Less peaty: 6 against 9 here