Color & Consistency: Rich lusciously dark caramel and although the color may portray a beautifully aged specimen they haven't fooled us a bit. Slower thin legs.
Nose: Rich pipe tobacco, like smoking a pipe during a cool misty morning sitting on a bench overlooking the sea with the subtle sound of bagpipes playing in the distance.
Taste: Tastes like an an Ardbeg should and that's not a bad thing. Smoke, lighter on the peat than other Ardbegs, definitely meaty and not as briny but she's still sea worthy. Slight caramel & toffee notes.
Finish: Shorter than its brothers. Mild oiliness with smoke and a little bit of peatiness.
Conclusion: Grooves is groovy but definitely a lighter Ardbeg release that is more approachable for the casual Islay fan. We would compare it to a blend between AN OA and Ardbeg 10 . It's really good overall and better than Kelpie with less in your face brininess and a little bit o' peat & little bit o' smoke. Great committee release for 2018. Jeff said that he would buy anything Ardbeg after enjoying this dram. Even thought we ranked it highly it feels slightly overpriced leaving us to knock it a little bit on glass rating.