Lets close off this Ardbeg April and the entire month of April without recycling earlier material, simply because the Ardbeg at hand is not part of the NAS special releases. This 1000 ml bottle is part of a travel retail series called Smoketrails, of which, at the time of writing, there have been three releases. First this Manzanilla Edition in 2022 (Manzanilla Sherry, a pale and dry Fortified Wine from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain), a Côte Rôtie Edition in 2023 (French Red Wine from the Northern Rhône, mostly Syrah and some Viognier) and finally a Napa Valley Edition in 2024 (Red Wine from California USA, Cabernet Sauvignon). Nothing was released (yet) after these three. Maybe the short series got discontinued or maybe sales were slow, and they are waiting to release a new one, only after the old stock sells (out) some more. I really don’t know. Where the special releases are often not very much liked (not all of them anyway), these travel retail litre bottles get even less love from the “discerning” public. Because of this I was a little bit weary diving into this one expecting a bit of a weak Ardbeg.

Manzanilla is a fortified wine similar to a Fino Sherry. It is made in the same way. It ages under flor, which is a cap made of indigenous yeast. This cap protects the ageing Wine from oxidation. Due to the local microclimate (low temperatures and high humidity) Manzanilla ages under a thicker flor, than a Fino Sherry, which results in a fresher and more crisp Sherry. Manzanilla stands for chamomile infusion because it is one of the aroma’s of this Wine. Apart from this, Manzanilla has a savoury and salty flavour. The grapes that can be used for a Manzanilla are Palomino, Pedro Ximénez, Moscatel de Grano Menudo and Moscatel de Alejandría, and these grow on chalky soil, probably the origin of the salty flavour.

Color: Light Gold.

Nose: First whiff is youth, these young Malts often have this milky smell. Ardcore had the same and luckily in both occasions it dissipates quickly, unless you start rolling the Whisky your glass, than it happens all over again, but only for a short while. In this respect Ardcore and Smoketrail share a common marker. After the initial note(s), smoke comes next, as the name already promised us, and as is often the case with Islay Whiskies, smoke is never far away. Notes of burnt (news)paper. Now it also shows a more spicy (and soapy) feel to it. The “soap” adds to the whole. It’s not a problem. Also the wood starts to play its role, and I do like the wood in this one. Slightly mineral and quite pleasant overall. Definitely not very complex. However, I do like what I smell. So far so good. All in all, this has a very likeable, friendly and well balanced nose.

Taste: What can I say, youth is here as well, like in the nose. Milky again (initially), with smoke and a lot of the now easily recognizable liquorice notes, most, if not all, Ardbeg April whiskies seem to have. Nice sweetness, which fits this profile. The liquorice also develops a sort of peppery edge to it, again, very nice. This has more to offer than people led me on to believe beforehand. Definitely young, and maybe even simple and again slightly soapy, but also very, very drinkable, it tastes like a 43% ABV Whisky, kind of soft so that’s nice. Sweetish, with sometimes a rather artificial winegum kind of note to it. But the sweetness in the taste is well balanced between it and the wood and the liquorice. I guess the occasional wine gum note, as well as a particular part of the spiciness comes from the Manzanilla, otherwise this is definitely not an Ardbeg that is dominated by the Sherry, not at all. The Manzanilla is used with taste, or not a lot is used at all.

Based on comments from my surroundings, this was supposed not to be all that good, but actually, it might be simple, but there is also nothing wrong with it. No off notes whatsoever, and apart from that it has some nice aroma’s to give. This is very affordable and for that you get a Whisky that is young, but also not un-finished. It never feels like something that has been bottled too early, and its a litre bottle to boot. I say go for it! A valid option if you find all those NAS-ers too overpriced.

Points: 85

Batch No. SP/MZL: 2022/01-ST:

• SP = Spain
• MZL = Manzanilla
• 2022 = Year of release
• 01-ST = First edition of Smoketrails