When Ardbeg announced a new addition to its core range, fans of the smoky Islay distillery took notice. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky was launched with plenty of fanfare; the first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg lineup since Corryvreckan in 2009. It joins the legendary Ardbeg 10 year old and Uigeadail, forming the backbone of Ardbeg’s core range.

Owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), Ardbeg has become as much about clever marketing as great whisky. So when An Oa was released, I was curious — and a little sceptical. Recent Ardbeg Day releases had felt more hype than substance. Would Ardbeg An Oa deliver something genuinely worthy of the brand’s legacy?

The Inspiration Behind Ardbeg An Oa

An Oa takes its name from the Mull of Oa, a rugged headland that shields the southern coast of Islay — and the distillery itself — from the Atlantic’s wildest storms. It’s a fitting metaphor for this dram: bold yet sheltered, smoky but rounded.

Maturation happens across a mix of Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, spicy virgin charred oak, and ex-bourbon barrels. These are then married in Dr. Bill Lumsden’s French oak ‘gathering vat’, giving An Oa its distinctive smoothness and complexity. Like all great Ardbegs, it’s non-chill filtered and bottled at a robust 46.6% ABV.

Ardbeg An Oa Islay Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.6%

COLOUR: Light Gold

NOSE: Peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. In the middle sweet vanilla floats about mingling with bits of toasted nuts and pine needles. It’s a fascinating and glorious mix of aromas. It’s complicated, subtle and different all at once. Faint smoke lurks around.

PALATE: The first sip delivers that unmistakable Ardbeg peat, followed by ash, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar. There’s also a subtle chocolate note and a flicker of lemon pepper. The mouthfeel is rich and velvety, with water softening the edges and bringing out more sweetness. Honestly, I finished my first glass neat — it was that good — and immediately poured another to “retest.”

FINISH: SLong, smooth, and comforting — like slipping into your favourite old jumper. It lingers with sweetness, oak spice, and a whisper of toasted nuts.

RATING: DIVINE

The Ardbeg An Oa whisky isn’t as briny or tar-heavy as Uigeadail. If Uigeadail is the seasoned old fisherman; salt in his beard and stories in his eyes; An Oa is his daughter at 21: still shaped by the sea, but softer, gentler, and full of promise. She may dream of other shores, but the pull of the ocean will always bring her home.

It’s rare for us to finish a bottle quickly, even Ardbeg’s core expressions. Yet our Ardbeg An Oa disappeared within four months — a clear sign of how drinkable and rewarding it is. Smooth, smoky, and beautifully balanced, this whisky proves that Ardbeg can evolve without losing its soul.

If that’s not “DIVINE,” I don’t know what is!

Further Ardbeg exploration

This whisky made it into my Whisky of the Year list. See what happened when we blind tested all the Divine rated drams next to each other.

I have also done a side-by-side comparison between the An Oa and the Ardbeg Uigeadail, as well as the An Oa and the standard 10 year old release. Tasting them this way allows me to understand each dram better. See which one was my favourite.

During 2020 Ardbeg released a new addition to the core range, the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 year old whisky.

Also Read: Glen Grant 12 year old NCF Whisky