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

This expression offers an irresistible doubling of flavour due to the double maturation in two casks made of American oak.

Still-maturing whisky from our standard ex-bourbon barrels is transferred to quarter casks and left to rest in our warehouse just a stone?s throw from the Atlantic shore.

This process represents Laphroaig breathing new life into a once-defunct tradition: the use of the smaller cask size, which ensures increased contact with the oak, creating a soft and velvety edge to complement Laphroaig?s distinctive peatiness.

On the nose the sensation is toffee and caramel, caused by the vanillas and tannins of the American oak, plus a dryness from the wood oil.

The finish is long and alternates between this sweetness and smoke.

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.

Bottled exclusively for New Zealand by the talented team at Whisky Galore. Distilled from heavily peated barley, this peated spirit (known by its 'codename' as Staoisha) has matured in a cask that has been given a process of de-charring and re-charring to maximize the development and extraction of flavour from the wood.

On the nose, a rich and oily scent of toasted peanuts surrounded by thick peat smoke and a medicinal quality of old first-aid kits (bandages and antiseptic) and salted-caramel. To taste, there is sweet, malty chocolate biscuits joining a tang of salt & vinegar chips, before a surge of rich peat smoke carried on a highly viscous mouthfeel.”

This exceptional edition was created by current Laphroaig Distillery Manager, John Campbell, to honor those who have gone before him. Starting with malted barley that's gently smoked over a peat-fuelled fire, then distilled along with the clear water drawn from the legendary Kilbride stream, the spirit is aged twice.

The process begins in first-fill, over-charred ex-Bourbon barrels before moving into large, new European oak hogsheads for further maturation. The result is a deep orange-hued whisky which combines the signature peat smoke and medicinal flavor of Laphroaig with caramelized dark fruit. Serve neat, or pour over ice.

Whisky made in tribute to two centuries of Laphroaig master distillers

Developed by John Campbell to pay tribute to his predecessors

Notes of peat, caramelized dark fruit and oiled wood

Perfect balance of bitter, sweet, fruity and smoky flavors

Matured in ex-Bourbon barrels and new European oak hogsheads

This expression from the famously unpeated Islay distillery is a sequel to the original Toiteach, crafted using Bunnahabhain M?ine, the distillery's peated spirit. It's name, Toiteach A Dha (pronounced 'Toch-ach ah-gha'), translates to 'Smoky Two' in Scots Gaelic and combines a higher proportion of sherry casks than the original. Presented free from chill-filtration and artificial colouring,

Originally released as a Travel Retail Exclusive, behold this 10 Year Old from Islay's Lagavulin! Having rested in first fill American oak bourbon casks for a decade, it's a glorious combination of sweet, salt and spicy notes, all wrapped up with fragrant peat smoke.

Nose: A sea breeze runs throughout rock salt, ripe apple, burnt sugar and maritime peat smoke.

Palate: Sweet and salty, with a good kick of chilli pepper, followed by roasted almond and more smoke.

Finish: A creamy, smoky, spicy finish.

SAMAROLI ISLAY
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
BOTTLED IN SCOTLAND IN 2023

Our eye - or better our nose - dwells on this youngster, allowing us to bottle yet another iteration of our philosophy of Islay, the queen of Scotland. We stand before a young, arrogant and daring Caol Ila. Despite its youth, the mastery conferred by wood presents us with a slightly peaty note. In addition, we sense shy hints of yeast, butter and smoked meats reminiscent of our hearth after last night’s fire is spent. And now almond, hazelnut and candied fruit. 

The saline plane surprises us in terms of equilibrium and harmony. Suggestions of herring and anchovy, a classic marina scent with flashes of the mineral. Those caper bushes descending towards the Sicilian sea are now evoked. To the right the Pillars of Heracles. To the left, the mysterious and intriguing East. There is a narrow border between the ocean and the sky which is lighter and therefore easy to identify. Some may say that Brittany is where we can best learn to distinguish this.

A.W.B. 

COMPOSITION: 3 casks of Caol Ila 2013 - Hogshead - Refill Bourbon
BOTTLES PRODUCED: 1104
ABV: 45%

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.

This single malt whisky was aged exclusively in red wine hogsheads from Rioja. This has added dark fruit and spiced elements to the classic peat smoke that Islay whisky is known for.  

The 2020 Kilchoman Small Batch Release is a vatting of Bourbon & Oloroso Sherry matured Kilchoman at 47.4% with one specially selected Pedro Ximenez Sherry Hogshead at natural cask strength.

Expect to find the classic Kilchoman citrus and peat smoke with added layers of treacle, toffee & cooked fruits.

This is batch 2 of the Small Batch Releases with 1,260 bottles produced.  

The yearly Diageo Special Releases always pack some surprises and it's fair to say an unpeated Caol Ila is probably one of them. This single malt Scotch promotes the distillery's lesser-known side as a sherry-forward Caol Ila that swaps smoke for elegant sweetness. It was matured for 15 years in refill and rejuvenated American-oak hogsheads and ex-bodega European oak butts before it was bottled at a cask strength 59.1% ABV.

Nose: Opens with marmalade-laden buttery toast, milk chocolate and fresh orange notes, before red cherry, strawberry and raisin comes through. Lashes of vanilla and a suggestion of spearmint, too.

Palate: Leads with more of that creamy chocolate, fruity yoghurt and honey. Peach is in there too, and in with all the oiliness is a pine-like quality.

Finish: Yoghurt-covered almonds with some liquorice and, yes, some distant smoke.

Overall: It's an viscous drop that packs a creamy-fruity punch.

Kilchoman Fino Cask 2020 Bottling Note

An intriguing bottling here from Kilchoman, which has been matured fully in Fino sherry casks! The casks for this expression were used previously by Bodega Miguel Martin in Spain, including 11 fresh sherry butts and just the one refill butt. Combining the savoury notes of peaty whisky with the salinity of Fino, this ought to be great for someone looking to try something a little bit different.

Nose: Toasted nuts, peat smoke and a hint of sea salt, while sweeter notes of honey and banana bring some balance.

Palate: Dark chocolate, another touch of flaky sea salt, a burst of fresh citrus and some earthy, vegetal peat.

Finish: Green olive, salted butter and smoke.