Ardbeg Blaaack: Pinot Noir Meets Islay Peat — The Committee's 20th Anniversary in New Zealand Wine Casks

Item: Ardbeg Blaaack: Pinot Noir Meets Islay Peat — The Committee's 20th Anniversary in New Zealand Wine Casks
Rating: 8
Author: Joe Whitfield

Joe Whitfield April 10, 2026 1 views

8 /10

EDITOR

Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery
Type: Scotch
Age: NAS
ABV: 50.7% ABV
Price: £150

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark cherries, peach, strawberries and cream, smoked meat, old fireplaces, classic Ardbeg peat — the Pinot adding fruit to the smoke

Palate

Fiery and spicy — cherries, lime, wood smoke throughout, velvety summer fruit pudding, bitter cherry — Pinot meets peat

Finish

Dark chocolate, single espresso, lingering wood smoke — long and warming, the wine cask leaving its berry signature

First Impressions

Ardbeg Blaaack — 20th Committee anniversary. NZ Pinot Noir casks. Named after black sheep. Committee 50.7%. 2020.

Tasting

Cherry and strawberry nose over peat. Fiery palate with summer fruit pudding. Long espresso and smoke finish. Most fruit-forward Ardbeg ever.

The Verdict

Blaaack earns an 8 — the Pinot Noir adds genuine berry complexity to Ardbeg's peat. At £150 secondary, the Committee Release is the one to seek. A black sheep triumph.

Where to Buy

Master of Malt
£250.00

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Joe Whitfield

Editor-in-Chief

Joe has spent over fifteen years immersed in the whiskey industry, beginning his career at a Speyside distillery before moving into drinks journalism. As Editor-in-Chief at Whiskeyful.com, he oversees...