Ardbeg Airidh Nam Beist . . . worth it?

[Nock]

So my local store here in Seattle just got in another shipment of the Nam Beist from Ardbeg.

And again it is $109.50 (which is the same price as at Binnys)
That is about 57 pounds or 83 Euros

That is a hefty price for this stuff in my opinion.
And while I have been a huge fan of Ardbeg in the past . . .
My last bottle of the 10yo put me off a bit.
(maybe it was just an off bottle?)

I am really in a Laphroaig phase these days
and I am just not convinced that $109.50
is wise to spend on a 16yo Ardbeg at 46%
when I could get two Laphroaig Quarter Cask bottles for that price
Or another bottle of a 1982 Brora . . .

What do you guys who have tried it think.
Is the Nam Beist a really winner
or just a sad replacement for the 17yo?

[vitara7]

its good, but as you said, you can get two bottles of the 1/4 cask where you are for the same price.

if it were me, i know what two bottles id be taking home...

[les taylor]

Hi Nock its about £43 here in the uk if that helps.

[hpulley]

Everyone's tastes are different; if you prefer LQC then please buy it! That is not a favorite of mine (I prefer the 10yo Laphroaig, personally).

I definitely think Beist is worth that much but it is a much different beast (hehe) than the 17yo. Search and I think you'll find my notes when I compared it HTHTHTH with the 17yo and TEN and then ASY for good measure. I'm dying to get my hands on it, if only my importer/liquor board would get with the programme. I asked to private order it last fall and was told the importer was bringing it in but now the earliest I might see it is August... more likely the fall. Why they make me wait a year when I could have DRANK a case or two of it by now is beyond me. They just don't want my money or something.

I fully expect to pay over $100/bottle for it and will gladly do so.

Harry

[peergynt323]

I polished off a bottle. I'd say it's very good, but I'm in search of older bottlings of Uigeadail myself. It has changed a good deal since the 2004 version.

[Di Blasi]

Yes, it's good, but a lighter and easier styled Ardbeg than their Ten or other ones. Not as light and mild as the 17y. It's good, yes, but again, if you're going towards Laphroaig, (that Quarter Cask is dynamite stuff!), maybe you should wait to taste it at a bar or elsewhere to see if it's worth it to you.

[Drrich1965]

I polished off a bottle. I'd say it's very good, but I'm in search of older bottlings of Uigeadail myself. It has changed a good deal since the 2004 version.

Binnys had the 2004 version up to a month ago..check with Brett...

[peergynt323]

I polished off a bottle. I'd say it's very good, but I'm in search of older bottlings of Uigeadail myself. It has changed a good deal since the 2004 version.

Binnys had the 2004 version up to a month ago..check with Brett...

Nice. Thanks for the tip, Rich.

[Deactivated Member]

The price here in Germany is about €70 and I have to say that I would not buy one to drink at that price.
Maybe I'm the only one on here who thinks so, but when I tried this dram a few weeks ago I was left uninspired and disappointed.

However, I have just added one to my collection of Ardbegs and it will sit unopened for a few years.
MT

[Reggaeblues]

Naturally Jim Murray praises it to the skies and gives it 95...but I was initially disappointed and I too questioned whether it was worth 2 10 year olds... or 2 QCs for that matter.

It is more subtle and has a bit more going on than than the ten,and is more ballsy than the 17, no question but...it took me a while to appreciate. not one of those "instant" whiskies. I bought one on Ardbeg loyalty alone. Not sure if I would have had I tried it first, whereas, having been given a taste of "Still young" at Oddbins, I immediately wanted a bottle, and eventually swapped a bottle of (truly underwhelming) Serendipity for it...and was glad I did.

But then Jim gives Serendipity 96, and in my opinion the Beast is a lot better than that!

... it has certainly improved, as some drams seem to, as the bottle empties and interacts with the air in the bottle. But that's an expensive way to enjoy a whisky! I guess your best bet would be to decant half a Beast into an empty bottle of 10 YO so that you have 2 half bottles, and let it sit a coupla weeks before you taste it...

Seems the jury is still out on this one.

[Leither]

Pure and simple - no, it's not worth it. And Ardbeg is probably my favourite Islay. My choice would be 2 bottles of Ten, or a bottle of the Very Young, Still Young or (my favourite Ardbeg) the Uigeadail if you can source and you'd have about £10/$20 left for a half decent islay blend like Black Bottle.

However, if you are an Ardbeg nut then go for it and good on you.

Away from Ardbeg, but still on Islay, Laphroaig QC (x 2!) would be my choice. Other similar and cheaper choices would be Lagavulin 16 or CS, Caol Ila 18 or CS or even one of the new peaty Bunnies from Signatory.

I just think LVMH, fuelled by the Ardbeg nuts, are hiking up the Ardbeg prices into 'premium' territory and Islayphiles will start to drift away to Laphroaig and the Diageo brands.

[bamber]

It's £43 here, which I think is a fair price. I would not pay what you are being asked though. Plenty of IB's - Cadenhead's especially, which give better prices on Ardbegs than that.

[Reggaeblues]

Just to throw in a curveball...Talisker 18 is six pounds cheaper.

[Spirit of Islay]

I just think LVMH, fuelled by the Ardbeg nuts, are hiking up the Ardbeg prices into 'premium' territory

Ardbeg nuts ....No .....
Ardbeg Speculators ......yes !!!!

[Admiral]

I wouldn't buy it at that price. Yes it's nice, but then so is regular 10yo Ardbeg, and I don't think the Beast is that much different or better to justify such a higher price tag.

Cheers,
ADmiral

[hpulley]

Better is completely subjective but different? I do find Beist and TEN quite different for sure. I found it to be remeniscient of some much older Ardbegs which are worth much more than $100/bottle.

Harry

[bamber]

As an aside I do think the 1990 is better than the TEN. Not twice as good obviously, but we all know whiskies are subject to law of diminishing returns, once you start venturing above the £30 mark.

[lwknigh]

I agree,Laphroaig is the best bargin,keep buying all the bottlings,as I own Fortune Brands stock,I've started buying companies that I buy alot of their product,I may even buy some Diageo,maybe we can do a hostile takeover before the Indians buy everything.Cheers





quote="Nock"]So my local store here in Seattle just got in another shipment of the Nam Beist from Ardbeg.

And again it is $109.50 (which is the same price as at Binnys)
That is about 57 pounds or 83 Euros

That is a hefty price for this stuff in my opinion.
And while I have been a huge fan of Ardbeg in the past . . .
My last bottle of the 10yo put me off a bit.
(maybe it was just an off bottle?)

I am really in a Laphroaig phase these days
and I am just not convinced that $109.50
is wise to spend on a 16yo Ardbeg at 46%
when I could get two Laphroaig Quarter Cask bottles for that price
Or another bottle of a 1982 Brora . . .

What do you guys who have tried it think.
Is the Nam Beist a really winner
or just a sad replacement for the 17yo?[/quote]

[Paul A Jellis]

It's good, but not that good. Ardbeg these days is not the Ardbeg that I fell in love with a few years ago. But then after years of closing, re-opening, mothballing, closing and then finally re-opening in 1997, the warehouses must be a bit depleated of good older stock, lets hope in a few more years they can get back to the range of stock Glenmorangie enjoyed when they took it over.

[TheLaddie]

Airig Nam Beist is a good dram. It's not too badly priced here in the UK but if you can get a Brora or two bottles of Laphroaig QC (an equally good whisky if not a little better) for the same money where you are I'd certainly take one of the latter options.