Side by side : Ardbeg Committee

According to Ardbeg's website Islay, with a population of just 3000, has more than 140 Committees. And the biggest one of all? The Ardbeg Committee, with a worldwide membership of over 120,000 and counting.

The Committee release a dram for Ardbeg Day, part of Islay's Fèis Ìle - let see how two of the recent releases compare side by side!

To be honest I've never really got on with Ardbeg, the Ten is pretty good and the An Oa is OK but most of the rest of the lower ABV drams have just been ordinary, once you get above 50% though my opinion changes - Corryvreckan and Uigeadail are very good.

The Committee releases are higher strength and sometimes versions of their lower ABV siblings.
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Dram	Drum Committee	Grooves Committee
Characteristics	52% ABV	51.6% ABV
Distillery info	“A Scrumptious jamboree of flavours” This Ardbeg started life in ex-Bourbon casks and was then finished in ex-rum casks from the Americas. Tasting Notes: ‘Fragrant pine resin, woodsmoke and sea spray dancing alongside ripe bananas and pineapple. Lavender, liquorice and vanilla sway into rich dark chocolate, before parading into a long smoky finish."	“The grooviest thing to come out of Ardbeg Distillery for Decades” Peat & Love “The Ardbeg Village of the 1960s was a very different place – a groovy wee community, with its own post office, billiards hall, two choirs and even a football team. These days the Ardbeg community is a worldwide one, and Ardbeg Day is the best way for us all to come together and raise a dram to the ultimate Islay single malt.” Matured in Wine casks for "an intensely mellow dram produced from the grooviest casks ever. Smoked spices combine with distant bonfires fading into a mellow haze of apples and smoked pear.”
My thoughts:
Appearance
	Pale gold in the glass, swirls cling as a thin line, beading to form an inverted crown before falling as slow thick legs.	Mid gold in the glass, noticeably darker, swirls again cling as a thin line before beading and falling as slow thick legs.
Nose	Fresh cut grass, orchard fruit and a hint of lemon peel. A little burnt porridge smoke. After a little time in the glass some tropical notes do come through but they are very faint, there's also a hint of seaweed.	Fruitcake notes, very drying, a faint hint of musty books. There's a lot more smoke in this one - an old bonfire on the beach - salty notes joining in.
Palate	Thick oily arrival, a lot of sweetness, a little spice and a big kick of smoke - that wasn't on the nose. Dig under the smoke and there's tropical fruit - pineapple, bananas and mango. A few more sips offer the spice - pepper and chilli but fairly mild. The sweetness comes through with more tropical fruit notes and the liquid disappears leaving a drying citrus note - nice!	Again thick and oily, a similar ABV giving a similar mouthfeel but the taste is completely different - dry red wine notes. It starts slightly sweet and then turns very bitter and oaky. All the moisture is stripped from your mouth - oak and tar with a slight medicinal note. The musty books note is back with smoke and a little salt. A few more sips just enhances the wine and musty notes - not nice.
Finish	Long spicy smoke with tropical fruit notes. Nice!	Long sour oaky wine notes - not pleasant.
Overall	To be honest I was pleasantly surprised by the Drum, it's easily the best rum cask finished whisky I've tried, the nose isn't brilliant but the palate and finish are lovely. Grooves on the other hand was not nice - very drying - very smoky and little hints of salt - usually a nice combination but the wine and musty book notes just make it unpleasant. The standard Grooves wasn't nice and this Committee Release is no better.

Many thanks to @chris and @jwbassman_ for the drample swaps!

Geeky stuff:

Ardbeg Committee Releases
Year	Name	ABV	Cask types
2020	Blaaack	50.7%	Pinot Noir
2019	Drum	52.%	Ex-Bourbon Cask / Ex-Rum Cask Finish
2018	Grooves	51.6%	Recharred Red Wine Casks
2017	Kelpie	51.7%	Virgin Russian Oak
2016	Dark Cove	55.%	Ex-Bourbon & Dark Sherry Casks
2015	Perpetuum	49.2%	Bourbon and Sherry
2014	Supernova	55.%	Bourbon
2012	Day	56.7%
2011	Alligator	51.2%	New American White Oak
2010	Rollercoaster	57.3%	Ex-bourbon & Sherry butt
2009	Supernova	58.9%	Various
2008	Corryvreckan	57.1%	Various
2006	Young Uigeadail	59.9%	Ex-bourbon & Sherry butt
2005	Serendipity	40.%	Blended with Glen Moray
2004	Kildalton	57.6%	Various
2003	Very Young for Discussion	58.9%	Bourbon
2002	21 Committee Reserve	55.3%	Various
2001	21	56.3%	Bourbon
2000	Single Cask 2394	53.2%	Sherry Butt
2000	Single Cask 2392	55.%	Sherry Butt