Arrrrrrrdbeg is a limited-edition single malt from Ardbeg. Matured in ex-rye casks, smoky aromas of banana, pear, rye bread, lemon and vanilla toffee fill the nose. The palate offers notes of spicy pepper, melon, kiwi, aniseed and smoked toffee above a bed of savoury peat smoke.

Bottled to celebrate Ardbeg Day 2021 and Islay’s definitely-real-and-totally-not-made-up flavour breathing dragon, Ardbeg Scorch is a dram with an almost mythical flavour profile. Our whisky wizards have been hard at work, chanting incantations and conjuring spirits, concocting one of the Distillery’s most fantastical whiskies yet. Matured in ex-Bourbon American oak casks, fiercely charred and packed with smoke, discover lair upon lair of flavour in Ardbeg Scorch.

This edition of Ardbeg Scorch will be available in the below countries – if an exact date isn’t specified, make sure you’re a Member of the Ardbeg Committee to be kept up to date!

TASTING NOTES

COLOUR: Bright brushed gold

NOSE: On the nose, frighteningly intense aromas of soot and smoke lie in wait. Hints of aniseed and fragrant patchouli interlace with bold notes of quenched steel and saddle soap. With a drop of water, herbal top notes of briarwood, sage and pine wisp their way to the fore.

TASTE: Take a sip and experience lair upon lair of flavour. An oily mouthfeel grips the senses. Billowy clouds of sweet smoke and dragon charred oak permeate the palate, while grilled fare and black liquorice weave between notes of medicinal lozenge.

FINISH: A long and heroic finale, with a subtle tarry aftertaste. A finish that will drag on, well into its happily ever after.

From a Distillery with more ups and downs that a pogoing punk comes Ardcore. Created with roasted black malt, roasted to the extreme, this spirit is all about what happens up front – centre stage. The malt is what defines its distinctive profile. Described as tasting like ‘biting on a spiky ball’, Ardcore is a dram that wears its heart on its sleeve… its black heart!

Notes of charcoal and sweet smoke make for an in-your-face nose, while potent notes of aniseed and dark chocolate stamp this bottle out as one fit only for the most Ardcore of fans.

Non chill-filtered at 50.1% ABV.

THE UNTAMED SPIRIT OF ISLAY

Ardbeg has been called “as close to perfection as makes no difference,” by whisky connoisseurs. Proof then, that Ardbeg truly deserves its incredible reputation. It’s a whisky that’s worshipped around the world. In the past ten years, six different Ardbeg expressions have won prestigious titles including World Whisky of the Year, Scotch Whisky of the Year and World’s Best Single Malt.

Maker Notes

Something weird has been going down at the Distillery.  The legendary purifier on the still – responsible for Ardbeg’s exalted balance – is nowhere to be seen. And this whisky – Ardbeg Heavy Vapours – is the consequence. The familiar harmony between peat and floral fruitiness has been disrupted. What have risen are the untamed darker flavours and notes, gathering and filling the senses. It is an ominous dram of dramatic, aromatic pungency. Heavy Vapours will rise.

TASTING NOTES

COLOR: Pale straw

NOSE: SMOKE rises with a cloying sweetness. Intense, pungent and aromatic, a distinctive farmyard scent drifts, along with a crunchy aroma, like CREOSOTE or tarry rope. A splash of water disturbs the vapours and DARK CHOCOLATE CREAM billows, laced with a ribbon of SMOKED ARTICHOKE.

TASTE: Ardbeg’s UNTAMED darker flavours and notes have risen. A burst of bittersweetness SURGES, disturbing ashy coal DUST and casting a HAZE of CARDAMOM, peppermint and COFFEE grits. CLOUDS OF dark chocolate and mentholic eucalyptus ROLL IN, OBSCURING the fruit and floral notes usually found at the heart of ARDBEG. Wisps of ANISEED twists, CINNAMON balls and antiseptic lozenges FLOAT on the palate.

FINISH: The aftertaste lingers LONG and BOLD, with an almost anaesthetising sensation.

You start with a hare-brained idea, you bring together three unique casks, two masters in their own right, and a whole lot of heat and smoke… what do you get? You get the Distillery’s first ever barbecue-inspired whisky – Ardbeg BizarreBQ. Cooked up by renowned Master Distiller, Dr Bill Lumsden, alongside bona-fide god of the grill, Christian Stevenson (AKA DJ BBQ), this mouth-watering malt packs a meaty, peaty punch.

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

Non-chill filtered.

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.