From Ardbeg...

Ardbeg, on the windswept Isle of Islay, to the west of Scotland, is renowned as a producer of peaty malts. Think salt and iodine and bonfires, and all sorts of good outdoorsy things. This is one of those drams that you can keep coming back to and always raises a smile - pure peat driven indulgence.

TRIPLE CASK FINISHED
Ardbeg BizarreBQ has been matured in a combination of double charred oak casks, Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and our unique BBQ casks. Together they ignite a feast of aromas in hickory smoked ham, grilled artichokes, flamed steak and cinnamon dusted espresso.

At just 5 years old, this feisty and intensely powerful smoky whisky, is untamed by age.

From elusive sea creatures to eerie hillside half-breeds, the Ardbeg Distillery has a history of exploring inexplicable legends in their bottlings. However, this next unearthly expression is said to have emerged from the peat bogs of Islay themselves. Ardbeg Wee Beastie has been described as a ‘monster of a dram’… with a formidable bite. 

Matured in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, Wee Beastie bristles with intense aromas of cracked black pepper, sappy pine resin and sharp tangs of smoke. An explosive mouthfeel bursts forth with chocolate, creosote and tar. As savoury meats sink into the palate, the long salty mouth coating finish slinks away.

Aroma: Very fresh, herbal, with hints of vanilla, pear, freshly cracked black pepper and
honey-glazed ham. Rich Turkish coffee, sappy pine resin. With water, more herbal notes like vetiver and fennel, along with aniseed, green apple and leather.

Taste: A rich, explosive mouthfeel with lots of chocolate, tar, creosote and smoked bacon,
followed by a burst of antiseptic lozenges, eucalyptus and more aniseed.

Finish: A long, salty and mouthcoating finish with hints of cocoa, fudge and savoury meats.

Casks: Ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry

Ardbeg An Oa is singularly rounded, due in no small part to time spent in our newly established bespoke oak Gathering Vat where whiskies from several cask types - including; sweet Pedro Ximenez; spicy virgin charred oak; and intense ex-bourbon casks, amongst others - familiarise themselves with each other. The result is a dram with smoky power, mellowed by a delectable, smooth sweetness. Hallmark Ardbeg peat, dark chocolate and aniseed are wrapped in smooth, silky butterscotch, black pepper and clove, before rising to an intense crescendo of flavour.

Non chill-filtered with a strength of 46.6% ABV.

Source - Ardbeg

The Monsters of Smoke trio pack includes 3x20cl bottles of whisky from
Ardbeg’s Core Range. They are: Ardbeg Ten Years Old, the original giant
which has stalked the whisky world for decades; Ardbeg Wee Beastie, a
feisty young creature with a formidable bite; and Ardbeg An Oa, a complex
whisky that sits in a web of flavour notes.

For this release, Ardbeg used more grist and less water in the mashing stage to increase the concentration of the fermentable sugars.

In the subsequent fermentation stage, this created a fruitier juicier wash, and when distilled, it generated a fruitier style of New Make Spirit.


Colour
Bright Gold

Aroma
An explosion of fruity, estery notes, reminiscent of smoked bubblegum, fuse with whiffs of ripening barley and toasted sourdough bread. A splash of water reveals dense, sweet, and aromatic peat smoke, accompanied by gently smoked tropical fruits.

Taste

A rich, creamy mouthfeel drifts into sharp, sooty and spicy notes of creosote, aniseed, and clove. Tempered by the distinct sweetness of muscovado sugar, robust woody notes orbit rich charcoal.

Finish
Finally, in an almost infinite finish, earthy peat moss fuses with sizzling bonfire embers.

Prepare to snatch the cloak from our latest  limited edition and reveal to the world the  palate-provoking, taste-tantalising, whisky wonder that is Ardbeg Spectacular.  A first for Ardbeg, this whisky has been  matured in highly sought-after port wine casks, then married with classic bourbon barrels creating an extraordinarily smoky and balanced Ardbeg dram that imparts all  manner of peculiar notes and aromas. This is  devilish sweet meets smoky peat!

Tasting Notes: Smoky pear crumble and cooling  menthol twist into notes of incense candles, perfumed  lavender and antique leather.

Cask Type: Matured in highly sought-after port wine  casks and classic ex-bourbon barrels

The biggest and peatiest of Ardbeg's "core" range. The nose is creamy and a little fruity - then the peat bursts through in a massive cloud of iodine and smoke. The palate starts out sweet, with with hot-buttered, toasted sultana bread, bittersweet caramel and burnt honey. It dries out towards the finish, ending with salty ash, dried beef and szechuan pepper.

Ardbeg BizarreBQ Limited Edition is the Distillery's first ever barbecue-inspired whisky.

From the eccentric and experimental mind of Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Whisky
Creation, and in collaboration with grilling guru, Christian Stevenson (AKA DJ BBQ), this single malt was made to pack a meaty, peaty punch.

The same way it is with grilling, there's one vital element in creating the first BBQ-inspired malt fire. Toasting a selection of three casks, double charred oak casks, Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and BBQ casks, this combined recipe comes together to bring a sweet, tangy, smoky flavour perfect for BBQ!

Aroma - Puffs of charcoal and soot mingle with smoky wood and aromatic herbs and spices. Treacle toffee, hickory smoked ham and cinnamon-dusted espresso rise up.

A splash of water releases distinctively sharp citrus aromas, along with herbal notes such as fennel and aniseed. Grilled artichokes and a suggestion of seared meat sizzles the senses. The undeniable smell of bonfire and BBQ embers lingers in the background.

Taste - The mouthfeel is alive with spice, like BBQ ribs smothered in chilli. A myriad of deep, warming smoke follows close behind in flame-grilled steak, chilli oil, cured leather and clove. Ginger, aniseed and tar crackle on the palate with an aromatic woodsmoke edge.

Finish - The massive, hot aftertaste lingers on and on, with more grilled artichoke, black olives and a sooty note that slowly simmers away.

Ardbeg Uigeadail (pronounced Oog-a-dal), takes its name from the brooding mysterious loch which provides the peat-laden water for Ardbeg.  This is a special vatting of different styles of Ardbeg, marrying together its traditional deep, smoky notes with the luscious, sweet, raisiny tones of old ex-Sherry casks.

This second edition in the collection has been aged for 14 years in a marriage of aromatic Madeira casks and classic Ardbeg bourbon.

The influence of these rare Madeira casks is undeniable. In a dram where peat meets sweet, syrupy sponge pudding and tropical baked fruits mingle with peat smoke, cedarwood, and camphor. A rare breed of Ardbeg indeed.

Colour:
Pure Gold

Aroma:
Rich, sweet, aromatic, and fruity, baked banana bread and syrupy sponge pudding fill the senses. Notes of treacle trot into a distinctive whiff of burning cedarwood.
A splash of water releases a bounty of tropical fruits. Eucalyptus oil mingles with soft aromatic smoke.

Taste:
Zesty notes of lime and sweet peaches canter across the palate. A burst of rich smoked fruit and baked bread prance into antiseptic lozenges, creosote, and aniseed. Soft barley malt combines with nutmeg and peat smoke.

Finish:
The influence of these rare Madeira casks is undeniable. A whimsically smoky finish welcomes a long and lingering aftertaste of menthol, clove, wood smoke and camphor.

A marriage of whisky matured in sweet sauternes wine casks, together with classic Ardbeg aged in ex-bourbon casks.

Colour - Amber

Aroma - Very distinctively oily, with touches of extra virgin olive oil, sweet briar wood, aromatic herbs (coriander & sage) and a suggestion of smoked lemon peel. A splash of water releases more oiliness, like linseed oil, a gentle waxiness, and a burst of perfumed, aromatic carbolic soap, and finally, a whiff of crème brulee.

Taste - A soft, oily, mouthcoating texture leads into a rich, sweet, smoky palate, with hints of oak moss, treacle, aniseed lozenges and a lovely, sweet, woody/balsamic flavour. This is then followed by smoked apricots and eucalyptus oil.

Finish - Finally comes a lingering, sweet/smoky aftertaste, with a touch of cumin, cardamon and the merest hint of coconut.

The newest, oldest whisky to join the core range. This supreme expression proves unequivocally that age cannot tame Ardbeg's smoky power. But it can yield some of the most complex and majestic flavours ever to burst forth from Ardbeg Distillery.

Bottled from incredibly rare casks filled during some of the Distillery's darkest days, this is Ardbeg at its most intricate, balanced and beguiling.

Majestic aromas of smoked cream and earthy bonfires are masterfully interwoven with layers of pine and fragrant candle wax. Hot pepper rises on the palate, twisting around lemon sherbet sweetness, while hints of carbolic soap and tar flow into a long aftertaste characterised by delicate aniseed entwined with lingering cream and fudge.

Non chill-filtered with a strength of 46%

Ardbeg Grooves was released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2018, and as ever, the Islay-based distillers have created a most intriguing expression. Part of the whisky that makes up Grooves was matured in red wine casks that were very well-charred, resulting in heavy grooves in the surface of the wood. A mellow though flavoursome dram.

Nose: A thick, spiced aroma of iodine, seaweed and golden syrup leads among a herbal note of lavender. An earthy funk from damp bonfire wood, old oak and dried grass is complemented by lighter touches of butterscotch, stone fruits and a little marzipan icing.

Palate: Vanilla fudge, toffee popcorn and tarred orchard fruits rise through a big, salty opening. Savoury BBQ notes of cured Italian meats are percolated by paprika, green chilli and scorched herbs. Antique leather and damp oak form an interesting backdrop.

Finish: Seaside bonfire and smoked salts percolate through a mellow sweetness.

For Ardbeg Smoketrails Cote Rotie Edition, we’ve married classic Ardbeg ex-bourbon casks with Ardbeg matured in highly sought-after Cote Rotie wine casks from the Rhône region in southern France. 

In this full bodied, punchy spirit, grilled artichoke and peppers peer over the horizon while warm notes of camphor fade into cooling menthol.

Subtle smoked cranberry and tar fly high above before rich dark chocolate loops-the-loop into soft fondant.

Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 23 Years Old is the first in a series of highly collectible limited releases. Each Y2K vintage will be a one-off whisky creation, with a different age, maturation cask and ABV. The unique characteristic of each vintage will be revealed with each release, alongside a new, never-before-shared ‘secret’ about Ardbeg from the year 2000.

A COMBINATION OF OLD AND NEW
With the renovation of the Ardbeg Distillery underway, the whisky creation team used their magic on this serendipitous rare stock. Combining old and new, it merges modern, innovative whisky techniques, while still using the old Ardbeg stills.

A TASTE OF THE FUTURE
Distilled during a time of revival and regeneration for Ardbeg, Vintage_Y Y2K 23 Years Old perfectly encapsulates the optimism and excitement surrounding Ardbeg in that momentous year.

This rare millennium spirit is characterised by bright, zesty notes, intensely sweet and sooty flavours and a vibrant effervescence.

COLOUR Pale amber

AROMA - Herbal and sweet, with a subtle perfumed smokiness. A zesty note
like lemon balsam emerges, with a hint of linseed oil and candied walnuts. With water the fragrance intensifies, emitting heather honey, a touch of creosote and a tiny trace of tent canvas.

TASTE - The texture is fizzy ( with a vibrant effervescence on the tongue. At first the flavour is intensely sweet, then shifts as aniseed, toffee, digestive biscuits, peppermint, menthol, tar and coffee grits burst through.

FINISH
The sooty flavours keep building, until they finally dissolve into
a long, lingering aftertaste of antiseptic lozenges, bitter oranges
and oak tanninstannins.