NOSE - The nuanced aroma reveals  whiffs of sweet cereals, fresh  oak and pipe tobacco with  touches of leather, nutmeg and  vanilla.

PALATE - The Original Cask  Strength is sweet and  spicy with notes of vanilla,  toffee and sea salt along  with hints of cinnamon  and pepper. Long finish with lingering spice,  oak tannins, iodine and sea salt. 

FINISH - Long finish with lingering spice,  oak tannins, iodine and sea salt.

In the universe of Planet Ardbeg, the legendary purifier on the still
responsible for Ardbeg's exalted balance has disappeared! Mysterious forces are rising at the Distillery.

The balance of Ardbeg has been disrupted and an ominous dram
Ardbeg Heavy Vapours is the consequence…

With SMOKY surges of bittersweetness and CLOUDS of dark chocolate and
eucalyptus, ARDBEG HEAVY VAPOURS is an ominous dram of dramatic,
AROMATIC pungency.

This Planet Ardbeg Day, new and existing committee members are invited to step
into Planet Ardbeg and join Agent 46 to solve the mystery of the missing purifier,
helping to restore the balance before it’s too late.

Cask types: 70 % Bourbon Barrels / 5 % Oloroso Sherry / 25 % Fino Sherry

Date Bottled: 21.9.2022

Strength: 49,2 % abv

Number of bottles: 1.260

The Finlaggan range features single malt Scotch whisky from an undisclosed Islay distillery, bottled by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company. The range has seen a few expansions in recent years - this early 2016 release has enjoyed a finishing period in port casks, resulting in yummy, wine-like sweetness blending with the smoky, coastal peat.

Laphroaig has fashioned this whisky using malt from a number of different types of cask, including Oloroso Sherry butts, white American oak, Pedro Ximenez seasoned hoggies, Quarter casks and first fill bourbon casks. 

This does sport the hallmark medicinal Laphroaig qualities we all love so much but it's not packing a massive peat punch and so is a great entry whisky to the joys of Islay for someone just starting the Islay journey.

Single cask Islay whisky bottled to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Belgian independent bottler the Nectar. After initial maturation in American oak, this distinctive single malt was filled into dessert wine casks from Monbazillac. A great combination of sweet wine cask influence and coastal peatiness.

52.7% ABV

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%

The third edition, The Beithir’s Tale 15 Years Old is the last of the Anthology has been aged for 15 years in a special designer charred bourbon casks, air-seasoned, heavily toasted and then lightly charged

AGE – 15 Years Old

COLOUR – Pale Straw

NOSE – Pungent, oily and spicy, rich notes of treacle wrap around creosote and smoked herbs. Toasted apples and raisins reveal a sweeter
underbelly. With water, eucalyptus and menthol burst forth as fennel and pine trail behind.

TASTE – Astoundingly balanced, a sizzling mouthfeel leads into peat smoke, coffee grits and currents. Sweet lemon balsam entwines with smoked mandarins, followed by a sharp, smoky tang.

FINISH – Finally, a long, meandering finish brings with it subtle hints of vanilla and smoked butter.

Released in 2016, this is a small batch release of Finlaggan which is finished in sherry casks and bottled at 46% vol, for a ripe smoky flavour.

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: rich peat smoke, and big ripe fruits. Old leather and a hint of tobacco.

Palate: Thick chewy peat and rich fruity notes. make and sea salt. Oranges and dried fruits.

Finish: Long and warming. More smoke and fruit.

THIS ITEM WILL SHIP FROM OUR HAMILTON WAREHOUSE.

In just a fraction of a second, this bottling takes us to Laphroaig to breathe in the particularly invigorating salty sea air. Next, acting as a link between the peat and the other ingredients of the aroma and flavour palette, incredibly smooth dark chocolate brings us irresistibly towards the malting floors filled with the utterly divine fragrances of germinating barley.

Nose: clean, complex. On the first nose, traces of rubber, intense smoke and gentian root dig furrows into an anthracite-coloured peat. Allowed to breathe, this peat becomes more oily and medicinal (band-aid, merbromin), salty and even hot (cayenne). Gradually, the gamy character takes over (smoked fish and bacon). At the same time, the aromatic palette is undeniably jaunty, spring-like and bright.

Palate: powerful, lively. On the attack, blocks of chocolatey peat roll across the palate. Immediately after, iodine tincture and mustard seed bring lots of vitality. The mid-palate is a subtle mixture of herbaceous (hay, malted barley), fruity (pear, Golden Delicious) and vanilla sequences. At the end of the palate, a subtle liqueur of acacia honey and roasted pineapple unctuously floods the entire palette of flavours.

Finish: long, generous. In archetypal Laphroaig style, the start of the finish is peaty/chocolatey, fruity, iodine and phenolic (hydrocarbon, sleet). Rooted in its terroir (gentian, ginger), in a mineral-rich soil. A handful of dried fruits (almond, walnut) and citrus fruits (lemon, grapefruit) dominate the very dynamic end of the palate. On the retro-nasal olfaction, coconut milk, ash and aromatic plants (sage, verbena) stand out for their intensity. The empty glass is vegetal (Havana cigar) and chocolatey.

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.

Distillery - Caol Ila
Vintage - 07.08.2014
Bottled - 2025
Stated Age - 11 years
Cask Type - Refill Amontillado HHD Finish
Cask number - 386648
Number of bottles - 321

This unique expression from Laphroaig combines the unforgettable flavour of our 10 year old whisky with the sweet, aromatic flavours from the Oloroso sherry casks.

This marriage of casks creates a rich, full bodied flavour with notes of Manuka honey, bacon and maple syrup alongside the classic smoke, seaweed and hint of salt that Laphroaig is known and loved for.

The European oak sherry casks are carefully selected to compliment the unique and much-loved taste of Laphroaig. The additional sweetness and character of the Oloroso casks add complexity and balance to create a unique and exciting expression, but one that stays true to the character of Laphroaig.

The Bowmore aged 9 years has been matured in both ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks allowing the distinctive Bowmore smokiness to shine through. Released in 2016, this expression was aimed to be a limited release and now sadly is nearly disappeared for good