tl;dr summary - two sensationally delicious examples of Islay peated single malt Scotch whisky. The Ardbeg is smokey-sweet candy that is less complex but much more approachable than the savory bitter-smoke roulette wheel of tastes and smells that is the Laphroaig.
The island of Islay holds a special place in the hearts of peated Scotch fans. Home to nine distilleries and ample peat bogs, Islay is ground zero for Scotland's smoke-influenced malt whisky industry. Distillation began in the 1700s for two of Islay's finest - Bowmore and Lagavulin. Ardbeg, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, and Laphroaig followed in the 1800s. Bringing up the rear, Islay's two newest distilleries - Ardnahoe and Kilchoman began distilling in the 2000s.
Tonight's tasting pits two of Islay's giants, Ardbeg and Laphroaig, against each other. Geographically, Ardbeg and Laphroaig are separated by a mere 3.2 miles on Islay's southern coast but each offer quite unique interpretations of a peated single malt Scotch whisky. Anecdotally, lying smack-dab in-between Laphroaig and Ardbeg is Ron Swanson's beloved Lagavulin, which, when combined with its flanking neighbors constitute the three best-known distilleries on Islay.
Ardbeg and Laphroaig each offer in their core product portfolio a 10-year expression. In Laphroaig's case, there are two 10-year offerings - a standard bottling at 43% ABV and a Cask Strength offering typically in the 58% ABV range. For this tasting, I will be using Laphroaig's Cask Strength version (Batch 6 bottled in February 2014 to be specific), but will be proofing my pour down to match Ardbeg's 46% ABV. As you can tell by the picture at the top, the Laphroaig is significantly darker than the Ardbeg, but sadly, this is almost certainly due to being artificially colored whereas the Ardbeg is au naturel. Neither malt is chill-filtered. As for cost, the Ardbeg typically retails in the $50 range, but can be scored for as low as $42ish if caught on sale. The Laphroaig 10-year Cask Strength version can be harder to find as it is not produced in huge quantities. Should you encounter a bottle, expect to pay ~$75. The standard version of Laphroag 10-year (bottled at 43% ABV) is easily found and typically retails in the $40 ballpark.
Let's jump into the side-by-side.
Smell
These are totally different animals. The Laphroaig is herbal, medicinal, and yes smokey. The Ardbeg is barley sweetness that is quite reminiscent of corn sweetness. Jeesh, as improbable and nonsensical as this sounds, the sweetness on the nose of the Ardbeg is very reminiscent of un-aged corn whiskey. The Ardbeg has a punch of peat smoke equal to that of the Laphroaig, but the underlying sweetness of the Ardbeg fools my nose into thinking it's a totally different type of smoke influence.
Taste
Yet again, these are nothing alike. The Ardbeg's sweetness carries over from the nose just as the Laphroaig's savory vibe carries over as well. The Ardbeg is effectively a sugar-bomb compared to the Laphroaig. While not as sweet as the Ardbeg, the Laphroaig is no less enjoyable. The Ardbeg starts and finishes sweet whereas the Laphroaig starts savory and finishes slightly bitter, think Angostura bitters. There is a sudden snap of bitterness to the Laphroaig near the tail-end of the sip that I find a bit jarring. Both of course carry a peat-punch, but the Laphroaig's bitter smoke is slightly less pleasing to me than the Ardbeg's sweet smoke. Aside from the peat smoke, there is some commonality, I find vanilla and honey present in both.
Finish
It's a tie in terms of length and power, both linger for an astonishingly long time. Peat smoke dominates the finish of both followed by the respective sweet/savory notes of the malts. What's curious to me is Internet sleuthing indicates that both the Ardbeg 10-year and the Laphroaig 10-year are exclusively matured in ex-bourbon barrels. As such, I would expect a more common experience between the two, yet they are radically different. Just how did the folks at Laphroaig impart that savory bitterness into their whisky?
Overall
Come to think about it, tasting these two side by side almost certainly tainted the subtleties of each whisky. Imagine trying a Roquefort alongside a Stilton - absolutely you will pick up some characteristics of each, but I'm betting the more nuanced characteristics would be dwarfed by the sledgehammer of the experience. What does appear when tasting side-by-side, rather dramatically, are the differences between the two malts. Characteristics that have never occurred to me suddenly became obvious - the corn whiskey vibe from the Ardbeg, the Angostura bitters twist from the Laphroaig.
So where does this leave me? The Ardbeg is a straight forward, sweet peat malt with gentle vanilla and honey. The Laphroaig is more complex, like a Wonka Gobstopper unraveling an array of taste and smell characteristics throughout the experience. Allow me to indulge in a food analogy - imagine bringing home a dozen or so large shrimp, the shrimp represent the freshly made peated malt that constitute both the Ardbeg and Laphroaig. You peel and devein all twelve but take six of those beauties and turn them into coconut fried shrimp. This is the Ardbeg 10-year. With the remaining six shrimp you decide to channel your inner Paul Bocuse and whip up a shrimp Provençale. This is the Laphroaig 10-year.
Ultimately, if I were to pick, the Ardbeg would be a weeknight pour when I am just looking to turn the brain off and relax whereas the Laphroaig would be for nights where I was willing to spend the mental energy contemplating the dram. All told, I wager I'd drain two bottles of the Ardbeg 10-year by the time I finished a single bottle of the Laphroaig. Along those lines, the Ardbeg would absolutely be my choice to introduce someone who is curious about trying peated malt whisky for the first time. I feel the Ardbeg is far more approachable and easier to enjoy than the Laphroaig, however the Laphroaig has oodles of nuance to discover for those willing to invest in the journey.
