Ardbeg Spectacular Limited Edition
Ardbeg and Port, together for the first time ever. Ardbeg Spectacular Limited Edition has been created by Dr Bill Lumsden for Ardbeg Day 2024, the grand finale of the annual Fèis Ìle festival where Ardbeggians celebrate the Islay Phenolmenon.
United KingdomColour Sunset orange
Nose Aromatic fragrant top notes like lavender, vetiver and incense candles. A touch of leather, some almond nuttiness, and a smidge of wax.
Palate A burst of huge, salty, savoury, smoky flavours, with salted caramel toffee, smoked pecan nuts and fragrant woodsmoke. Smoky pear crumble and some fudge.
Finish Finally on the long lingering aftertaste, more leather, salted caramel and a cooling mentholic sensation.
Overview
The annual Fèis Ìle festival sees whisky lovers from around the world converge on Islay in a celebration of the island, its culture, and of course its spirit. Its liquid spirit, in particular.
Distilleries around Islay open their doors to their fans, treating them to special Fèis Ìle releases. The ten-day festival winds up each year with Ardbeg Day, and Ardbeg always put on a big show. Ardbeg Day 2024 will be Dark Circus theme. Why? Because for this year, they’ve released a whisky that’s a spectacle of showstopping flavours. Something truly spectacular. So spectacular, in fact, that’s what they’ve called it.
This is the first time ever Ardbeg’s famous peated spirit has been matured in highly sought-after rare Port casks, which are then married with classic ex-Bourbon barrels.
The result is an extraordinarily smoky and balanced Ardbeg, with all kinds of peculiar notes and aromas. Expect helpings of vintage leather and almonds on the nose, mouthfuls of salted caramel toffee and smoked pecan nuts, along with smoky pear crumble and fudge, and a mint chocolate finish. This is devilish sweet meets smoky peat!
"This is a helter-skelter of flavours! Totally weird and absolutely spectacular. This is a freaky whisky!" - Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation.
The first fortified cask Ardbeg Day release since 2016’s legendary Sherry-matured Ardbeg Dark Cove. Even better? We wound back the clock on pricing too - an Ardbeg Day bottling hasn’t been $190 since 2019. And normally you’d have to be in the Committee or get yourself to Islay to grab one, but this year, the Club’s here to help with extremely limited numbers of bottles available from 14 May.
Bottles will be allocated strictly first-come, first-served. If you love peat, you do not want to miss out on this. It’s unlike any Ardbeg you’ve experienced before.
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THE SPECS
Price: $190.00
Age: No Age Statement
ABV: 46%
Maturation: Matured in matured in highly sought-after rare Port casks and ex-Bourbon barrels
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Ardbeg's History
The south coast of Islay is hallowed ground for peat lovers, with the holy trinity of Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries all within a stone's throw of each other. Despite having been making whisky since 1798, it was 1815 when John McDougall was granted a licence, making the distillery a legitimate operation. The name Ardbeg comes from the Gaelic word ‘ad bheag’, meaning small hill.
Distillery Facts
Region: Islay
Origin: Ardbeg Distillery, Port Ellen, Islay, Argyll, PA42 7EA
Founded: 1815
Water Source: Loch Uigeadail
Washbacks: 6, wooden
Stills: 2 wash and 2 spirit
Capacity: 2,400,000 litres per annum