The Little Beast Loosens Its Grip
Ardbeg Wee Beastie is $92 this week, and from what we have seen it usually sells around $106, which puts it about as low as we have ever found it sitting in a Dan Murphy's cabinet.
The bottle. The Wee Beastie is a five-year-old Islay single malt raised in ex-Oloroso and ex-Bourbon casks, and for something so young it comes at you hard. The nose is all intense peat first, wood smoke and phenolic vapours and black pepper, a sea breeze behind it and a twist of sour lemon, and then the casks step in with milk chocolate raisins, bacon fat, star anise, orange blossom, a little orchard fruit, vanilla and powdered sugar. On the palate it stays peaty, punchy and oily, and the finish runs long and smoky. It is not a quiet dram, and it does not pretend to be.
What to pay. This week it is $92, and it usually sells around $106, with what we have seen ranging from $90 up to $106. Work it out by the pour and the bottle holds about 26 standard drinks at roughly $3.51 each, which comes in under a pint at the pub at about $6.28 for the same measure, so a good smoky pour at the bench costs you less than the same measure at the pub.
1/This is a price guide for Smokehead Islay and the three Islay single malts that sit closest to it: what each usually sells for, the range seen, and where this week's price lands against it. The numbers lead; the drams come after.
2/| Bottle | Usually around | Range we've seen | This week | Per standard drink, this week | |---|---:|---|---:|---:| | Smokehead Islay | $82 | $76–$82 | $82 | — | | Laphroaig Select Cask | $75 | $75–$84 | $75 for members | $3.39 | | Ardbeg An Oa | $74 | $74–$149 | $74 | $2.89 | | Ardbeg Wee Beastie | $106 | $90–$106 | $92 | $3.51 |
3/Three are sitting at their everyday price this week: Smokehead Islay at $82, Laphroaig Select Cask at $75 and Ardbeg An Oa at $74, each where it usually sells. Ardbeg Wee Beastie is $92 this week, under its usual of around $106. Per standard drink, Laphroaig runs $3.39, An Oa $2.89 and Wee Beastie $3.51, so a pour of any of the three costs less at home than a standard drink from a $13 pint at the pub, which works out around $6.28. So: came for Smokehead? It's at its usual $82. Want the softer, sweeter smoke? Laphroaig and An Oa are both at their everyday price. After the biggest hit? Wee Beastie is below its usual this week. A yes for each.
Bottles on this deskThe Islay desk
Also from the Islay desk
Ardbeg Wee Beastie: neighbours' price
I love handing a Laphroaig 10 drinker an Ardbeg Wee Beastie. They'd pay about $68 for it, roughly 62% of what their own bottle costs them, docking it a little for the extra strength. A yes either way, really. More on the Beastie in this week's piece.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie: per drink
A dram of Ardbeg Wee Beastie after the plates are cleared, and the sums are the small ones: about 26 drinks to the bottle, which comes to $3.51 a pour at home. A pint at the pub runs closer to $6.28 for the same measure. The tasting is in this week's piece.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie: price guide
Ardbeg Wee Beastie is $92 at Dan Murphy's this week. It usually sells around $106, so you're catching it below the usual. If you like your Islay loud, peat, smoke and sea air, this one's for you. At about $3.51 a pour it's easy to keep on the bench. More in this week's piece.
Two Islay single malts
Both are Islay single malts built on peat, and they sit side by side nicely. Ardbeg Wee Beastie, $92, brings wood smoke, black pepper and a sea breeze, with milk chocolate raisins and vanilla behind it; Laphroaig Select Cask, $75 for members, is the calmer, sweeter one, gentle peat smoke, iodine and damp earth wrapped in vanilla. Together they come to $167 at Dan Murphy's for members this week, against $181 at their usual prices, and $183 for the same two at Liquorland this week. At home that's a smoky pour for well under a pint.
Port Charlotte 10: price per drink
Two Islays, side by side. Port Charlotte 10 is $146 this week, Caol Ila 12 is $138, so the Port Charlotte costs $8 more a bottle. Pour them and at 50% against 43% it's the cheaper drink: $5.29 a standard drink against $5.81. It runs darker than you'd expect, smoky and a touch medicinal, leaving you reaching for another. Per standard drink this week: — Ardbeg Wee Beastie: $3.51 — Lagavulin 8: $4.26 — Lagavulin 11 Sweet Peat: $4.84 — Port Charlotte 10: $5.29 — Caol Ila 12: $5.81 A pint at the pub is about $6.28 a standard drink. Every pour here sits under it.
Bunnahabhain 12: tasting
Bunnahabhain 12, $99 for members at Dan Murphy's. The nose is all sea salt and tangerines. The palate turns oily and warm: vanilla, sultanas, hazelnuts, a wisp of woodsmoke. Salt and drying smoke on the finish. More on it in this week's piece.
Bunnahabhain 12: neighbours' price
Bunnahabhain 12 and its nearest neighbour, Tamdhu 12, both lean on sherry casks. Hand a Tamdhu 12 drinker a Bunnahabhain 12 and they'd put it at 72% of what their own bottle costs. Plenty to like either way. More on the Bunnahabhain 12 in this week's piece.
Bunnahabhain 12: per drink
I poured the Bunnahabhain 12 and there it was: sea salt, a little tangerine, smoke drifting off at the end. At $99 that's $3.87 a standard drink, about 26 to the bottle. A pint runs about $6.28 a standard drink; a quieter pour at home. More in this week's piece.
Lagavulin 8: tasting
Lagavulin 8 is light in colour but no wimp: the nose heads straight to the shore, mineral and salt, then turns sweet and lively. Menthol, bay laurel, brine, a touch of Parma violet. Peat smoke blown off a kiln into salt air. $113 at Dan Murphy's. More in this week's piece.
Lagavulin 8: stand-in 1
If Lagavulin 8 is your dram, Ardbeg Wee Beastie, $92, gives a Lagavulin 8 drinker about 92% of what the Lagavulin 8 does for 81% of the price, all wood smoke, sea breeze and black pepper, with more on the Lagavulin 8 in this week's piece.
Lagavulin 8: neighbours' price
Hand a Caol Ila 12 drinker a Lagavulin 8 and they'd pay 59% of what their own bottle costs, marking it down for being the younger pour. Still an easy yes for anyone who loves salt, shore and peat smoke. Where would it sit for you? More in this week's piece on Lagavulin 8.
Lagavulin 8: per drink
At $4.26 a standard drink, a pour of Lagavulin 8 at home sits under the $6.28 a pint costs at the pub. The $113 bottle holds about 27 standard drinks, 161st of 310 at Dan Murphy's by price per drink. Where does that leave you? More in this week's piece on Lagavulin 8.
Lagavulin 8: stand-in 2
Like Lagavulin 8? Laphroaig 10 gives a Lagavulin 8 drinker about 80% of the same pour, for 96% of the price — and it's $109. Brine, iodine, charcoal, a sweet oak finish. The rest sits in this week's piece on Lagavulin 8.
Bowmore 12: per standard drink
What's a pour at home worth to you? Bowmore 12 is $95 for members this week, 40% in a 700 mL bottle, about 22 standard drinks, so $4.30 a standard drink. That puts it 52nd of 120 single malts at Dan Murphy's, 10th of 16 from Islay, and 183rd of 318 overall.
Flavour spotlight: peat smoke and sea air, under $100
Peat smoke and sea air, all under $100. The Scotch single malts at Dan Murphy's with the most of it, from their own reviews: Caol Ila 12, $99: fish and bacon off a beach barbecue, lightly oily and meaty. Smokehead Islay, $76: young and fiery, toffee apple, charcoal ash and peppered seaweed. Lagavulin 8, $99: straight to the shore, mineral and salt, then a breezy menthol. Glen Moray Peated, $72: sweet smoke and vanilla, lemon icing, a soft ashy finish. Talisker 10, $92: a sweet pear under the smoke, finishing on cracked black pepper. Five routes to the same coast. Pick your weather.
Lagavulin 16: price per drink
Friday night, two Islay bottles on the bench look almost twins. Caol Ila 12 is $99 this week, Bowmore 12 is $95. So Caol Ila costs $4 more a bottle. But at 43% against 40% it's the cheaper drink: $4.17 a standard drink against $4.30. Per standard drink: Bowmore 12 $4.30, Caol Ila 12 $4.17, Bunnahabhain 12 $5.01, Lagavulin 16 $6.74, Lagavulin 11 Sweet Peat $6.95. A pint at the pub is about $13, near two standard drinks, so $6.28 each. Bowmore, Caol Ila and Bunnahabhain come in under; the two Lagavulins sit over. Pick by taste. The price per pour won't trip you up.
Lagavulin 8: per standard drink
Lagavulin 8 is $99 for members this week, 48% in a 700 mL bottle: about 26 standard drinks, so $3.73 a standard drink. Where it lands: - 29th of 120 single malts at Dan Murphy's - 4th of 16 from Islay - 137th of 318 overall A pint at the pub is $6.28 a standard drink.
Laphroaig 10: per standard drink
Laphroaig 10 is $97 for members this week, 40% in a 700 mL bottle: about 22 standard drinks, so $4.39 a standard drink. Among single malts it sits 54th of 120, 11th of 16 from Islay, 188th of 318 overall. Few drams go this far into iodine and smouldering peat. Pour one and see.
Caol Ila 12: tasting
Caol Ila 12 is a beach barbecue in a glass: fresh fish wrapped in bacon, a squeeze of lemon. The palate turns oily and meaty, medium smoke carrying pineapple and melon, then dries into peppery peat. Caol Ila 12, $99 for members. Which barbecue is yours? More this week.
Caol Ila 12: stand-in 1
If you reach for Caol Ila 12, Bowmore 12 gives you about 98% of what it does for 96% of the price, landing at $95 for members, with tropical fruit, sweet smoke and a touch of brine on top. Worth a pour. The full story on Caol Ila 12 is in this week's piece.
Caol Ila 12: neighbours' price
Ask the drinkers of the bottles nearest Caol Ila 12 what they'd pay for it, each starting from what they pay for their own, and the answers land between $77 and $101. At $99 for members it sits near the top of that spread. The full read is in this week's piece.
Caol Ila 12: per drink
Caol Ila 12 comes to about $4.17 a pour at home, near 24 to a bottle, while a pint at the pub lands around $6.28 a standard drink, so the sofa wins on arithmetic if not on company. Worth a nightcap on the numbers? More in this week's piece.
Caol Ila 12: stand-in 2
Like Caol Ila 12? Here's a stand-in. Highland Park 12 gives a Caol Ila 12 drinker about 94% of what Caol Ila 12 does, for 91% of the price. $90 for members. Fragrant and floral, heather and honey, a wisp of smoke. More in this week's piece on Caol Ila 12.
Bowmore 12: price per drink
Caol Ila 12 costs $4 more a bottle than Bowmore 12, but at 43% against 40% it's the cheaper drink: $4.17 a standard drink against $4.30. Per standard drink this week: • Highland Park 12 — $90, 40%, $4.07 • Caol Ila 12 — $99, 43%, $4.17 • Bowmore 12 — $95, 40%, $4.30 All three come in under a pint at the pub ($6.28 a standard drink). Pour the Caol Ila of an evening: fish and bacon off a beach barbecue, a squeeze of lemon, peppery peat drying the finish. After honey, heather and a wisp of smoke, it's the Highland Park; sweet smoke and peaches, the Bowmore.
Ledaig 10: tasting
Pour Ledaig 10 of an evening and the peat lands brisk and bracing, its raw edge softened by honeyed vanilla, earthy smoke, ripe barley and a twist of black liquorice. $99 for members at Dan Murphy's, where it usually sells around $104. More in this week's piece.
Ledaig 10: stand-in 1
If Ledaig 10 is your smoke, Talisker 10 sits right alongside it: a Ledaig 10 drinker gets about 99% of what they came for, at 93% of the price. That's $92 for members, sweet pear and cracked black pepper under the smoke. More on Ledaig 10 in this week's piece.
Ledaig 10: neighbours' price
Ask the drinkers of the bottles nearest Ledaig 10 what it's worth to them. Their answers run $86 to $133, each from what they pay for their own. At $99 for members it sits inside that range, an easy yes for the peat drinker. More on Ledaig 10 in this week's piece.
Ledaig 10: per drink
They're all smoky, each in its own way. Ledaig 10 comes to $3.87 a standard drink — a pour at home, around 26 to the bottle. A pint at the pub runs about $6.28 a standard drink. More on Ledaig 10 in this week's piece.
Ledaig 10: price guide
Earthy peat smoke, honeyed vanilla and a stick of black liquorice, a brisk punch with soothing sweetness beneath. That's Ledaig 10, $99 for members at Dan Murphy's this week. It usually sells around $104, so take this as a gentle guide. More in this week's piece.
Lagavulin 8: tasting
Light in colour but no wimp: Lagavulin 8 heads for the shore with mineral and salt, then menthol, bay laurel and Parma violet, breezy as peat smoke blown off a kiln into salt-laden air. It's $99 for members at Dan Murphy's this week. Pour one; the full piece is on Lagavulin 8.
The numbers behind these bottles
| bottle | region | latest ticket | read | window price | CE 360° mean | premium | shelf rank | per std drink | drink rank | content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardbeg An Oa Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $74.50 | observed | $74.50 | $68.59 | 7.9% | #2 of 16 | $2.89 | #1 of 16 | 5 |
| Ardbeg Wee Beastie Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $91.99 | observed | $105.99 | $96.46 | 9.0% | #3 of 16 | $3.51 | #3 of 16 | 44 |
| Bowmore 12 | Islay | $109.99 | observed | $95.00 | $83.49 | 12.1% | #7 of 16 | $4.98 | #13 of 16 | 40 |
| Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky | Islay | $145.99 | observed | $145.99 | $127.43 | 12.7% | #9 of 16 | $5.29 | #14 of 16 | 58 |
| Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $100.99 | observed | $108.99 | $96.39 | 11.6% | #6 of 16 | $3.66 | #4 of 16 | 2 |
| Bunnahabhain 12 | Islay | $127.99 | observed | $127.99 | $103.15 | 19.4% | #15 of 16 | $3.87 | #6 of 16 | 18 |
| Bunnahabhain Stiuireadair Whisky | Islay | $114.99 | observed | $94.00 | $72.10 | 23.3% | #16 of 16 | $4.50 | #9 of 16 | 2 |
| Caol Ila 12 | Islay | $137.99 | observed | $99.00 | $88.74 | 10.4% | #4 of 16 | $5.81 | #15 of 16 | 64 |
| Lagavulin 11 Year Old Sweet Peat Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $164.99 | observed | $164.99 | $142.09 | 13.9% | #11 of 16 | $4.84 | #11 of 16 | 6 |
| Lagavulin 16 reference | Islay | $149.90 | observed | $159.95 | $130.52 | 18.4% | #14 of 16 | $6.31 | #16 of 16 | 19 |
| Lagavulin 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $112.99 | observed | $99.00 | $91.35 | 7.7% | #1 of 16 | $4.26 | #8 of 16 | 63 |
| Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Islay | $108.85 | observed | $97.00 | $86.43 | 10.9% | #5 of 16 | $4.93 | #12 of 16 | 25 |
| Laphroaig Quarter Cask Scotch Whisky | Islay | $169.99 | observed | $169.99 | $141.44 | 16.8% | #12 of 16 | $4.72 | #10 of 16 | 2 |
| Laphroaig Select Cask Scotch Whisky | Islay | $83.99 | observed | $75.00 | $65.74 | 12.3% | #8 of 16 | $3.39 | #2 of 16 | 6 |
| Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt Whisky | Islay | $126.99 | observed | $124.99 | $102.12 | 18.3% | #13 of 16 | $3.96 | #7 of 16 | 3 |
| Smokehead Islay Single Malt 700mL 40% | Islay | $81.99 | observed | $81.99 | $71.02 | 13.4% | #10 of 16 | $3.71 | #5 of 16 | 6 |