Ardbeg Drum
The Drum, lets call it “RumisYumm”. Like it’s name, its finished in rum cask and has a light color. Its also the least peaty and smoky of the ardbeg line.
Paired With
70% Belize ( 2018 harvest) from Dandelion Chocolate
This bar from Dandelion Chocolate uses the cacao from Maya Mountain, Belize with 2018 harvest . The 2016 harvest cacao was pineapple forward. This one, on the other hand reminds of Death by Chocolate cake from whole foods with raspberry compote.
The fruity and berry notes of the chocolate made the Ardbeg drum the drink of choice. Its super interesting how impressive it tasted with the bar. If you like slight peat and pineapple and berry fudge all together, this is the combination you must try.
Paired With 66
% Cacao Jerk Pineapple from Raaka Chocolate
The Raaka Chocolate limited edition chocolate bar made with fruity Dominican Republic Oko Caribe cacao with tangy pineapple juice and jerk spiced infused cacao butter. The Drum take’s it to a extra special crave level as the flavors, literally walk together without clashing at all. This pairing is a sweet , tangy, rummy, slightly peaty chocolaty mash ! What’s not to love, right?
Paired With 75
% Cacao Honeycomb Toffee from Ritual Chocolate
An Ardbeg trio of Uigeadail, Drum and Corryvreckan battle.
The first and the third are from their core range and at cask strength while the second is a limited release at 46% ABV. You will know that the Corryvreckan is my absolute favorite whisky ever, so with this tasting I wanted to see how the influence of sherry casks and rum casks respectively worked on my favorite.
This bar from Ritual Choclolate, is a 75% made with Belize cacao beans and made with housemade wildflower honeycomb toffee. The bar is very textured and you still get full floral notes of belize cacao once the honey is gone. When you first put it in your mouth there is a lot of honey and the Drum shines through. As the bar melts showing off its full colors , its the 2 higher ABV drams that shine!
If you have a honey chocolate you definitely must enjoy with a full blown peaty dram.