THIS YEARS SPECIAL RELEASE : THE ARDBEG
DRUM
Every year there is a special motto for the Ardbeg Day. 2018 saw the Peat & Love Festival, reviving
the flower-power era with the Ardbeg Groove. The Ardbeg Day 2017 and its
special bottling Ardbeg Kelpie were all about Kelpie and other mythical
creatures. Storytelling and colourful goings on and this year the Scottish
distillery celebrates a Caribbean carnival: The Ardbeg Day 2019 will take place
on June 1st on Islay and the Ardbeg Drum will be launched, a whisky that was
finished in American rum casks.
Drum is the first whisky
released by Ardbeg with a finishing period in rum casks! It was initially
matured in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred over to casks that had
previously held rum from the Americas. The result pits the classic savoury
smoke of Ardbeg's spirit against the bright, fruity notes introduced by the rum
casks - a wonderfully tasty juxtaposition!
It's not yet certain
whether its "Drum" because a Caribbean Steel Drum is so important for
that Caribbean feeling, or "Drum" because it’s Ardbeg DRum – a whisky
with a special twist formed by the finish in rum casks. Anyway – this year’s
Ardbeg Day promises was as colourful as last year’s.
And like every year, there
was an Ardbeg Day Committee Release of the Ardbeg Drum, available only to
club members and only available online directly from Moet Hennessy or in the
distillery itself. On 01 June, collectors and Ardbeg fans were seen striving to stay
hands-on to get a chance to get their hands on one of those Ardbeg Drum
Committee Releases at 52% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: In Drum, fragrant pine resin and woodsmoke dance alongside ripe banana and pineapple in a
downright wondrous paradiddle of aromas, before parading into smoked apples and
dry cocoa powder. Distant ginger, spiced dates and cinnamon sway into floating
notes of lavender.
Taste: On the palate,
waves of smoke, tar and creosote cascade into a dry peppery mouthfeel. Clove,
liquorice and ginger strut towards rich notes of dark chocolate and smoked
vanilla.
Finish: Intense smoke, roasted
coffee liqueur and a treasure trove of sweet spices come together in one
deliciously complex crescendo. 
ALSO TO RELEASE 19 YO: FIRST AGE STATED WHISKY IN 20 YEARS
Ardbeg is also all set to
release a 19-year-old single malt Traigh Bhan, its first permanent age-stated whisky to be released
in nearly 20 years.
Named after Islay’s Traigh
Bhan beach, known locally as the Singing Sands, the whisky will be available in
limited batches produced on an annual basis. The whisky’s recipe is set to
change with each batch, creating ‘subtle differences’ between future
iterations. Each batch of Ardbeg Traigh Bhan will feature a unique code on the
carton and bottle, which drinkers can enter into the distillery’s website to find
out more about the ‘story’ of the whisky.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s
director of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks, said: ‘A new,
permanent aged Ardbeg is a rare occurrence, and cause for celebration.’
Ardbeg
Traigh Bhan: Singing Sands ‘a perfect reflection’ of the Islay beach
Matured in American oak
and ex-oloroso Sherry casks before being bottled at 46.2% abv, Ardbeg Traigh
Bhan’s 2019 expression is said to have ‘intense and rugged’ notes of ‘smoked
chilli chocolate and paprika’ with ‘waves of toasted oak and roasted tea
leaves’ on the palate.
The first batch of Traigh
Bhan will be released in September, priced at £169 and available from
specialist stores worldwide.
The last permanent age-stated expression to join the distillery’s range was Ardbeg 10 Year Old,
which was introduced in 2000. Its core range currently features a series of
no-age-statement single malts named after geographical features of the distillery’s
island home, including Corryvreckan, Uigedail and An Oa, the last of which was
introduced in September 2017.
ARDBEG DAY SPECIAL RELEASES 2016-18
Ardbeg DARK COVE recalls
smuggling past Ardbeg Day 2016
Ardbeg released its Dark Cove expression as the brand’s annual Ardbeg
Day turned to Ardbeg Night to remember the island’s smuggling activities. A
no-age-statement, non-chill-filtered, limited edition whisky, Dark Cove is made
from liquid matured in Sherry casks, married together with “hallmark”
ex-Bourbon cask Ardbeg. On sight the Ardbeg Dark Cove definitely looks dark compared to most Ardbeg, even the Uigeadail. The sherry influence in the Ardbeg Dark Cove is light, but there are some of those dark earthy and nutty notes which are typical with sherried whiskies so the influence is there, but not in a “Oh look, sherry” kind of way. It’s influential, but not overbearing and makes for an interesting whisky.
Dark Cove recalls how early
distillers would smuggle whisky from Ardbeg Cove into black-painted ships. So
substantial was the illicit whisky trade between the island of Islay and
mainland Scotland that excise officers stationed a revenue cutter offshore to
intercept smugglers’ boats.
Ardbeg KELPIE Launched on Ardbeg Day 2017
Named after the ‘Kelpie’ – a
legendary water demon said to live in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Islay coast –
the new expression is the first Ardbeg whisky matured in Black Sea oak
casks.
Sourced from the Adyghe
Republic in Russia by Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of distilling, whisky
creation and whisky stocks, the casks are said to impart ‘incredibly deep
flavours’ to the whisky, which is then married with traditional Ardbeg, aged in
ex-Bourbon barrels.
Ardbeg GROOVES Ardbeg Day
Release 2018
As expected, the Islay-based distillers created a most intriguing expression, a mellow whisky that proves all you need is love
– and peat. Ardbeg harked back to the 1960s ‘Summer Of Love’ with its latest Ardbeg Day limited release, Ardbeg Grooves.
For this year’s bottling, Director
of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks Dr Bill Lumsden has matured
part of the whisky in re-toasted red wine casks. These casks were intensely
charred to create heavy grooves in the surface of the wood, designed to produce
more intense flavours of ‘smoked spices, distant bonfires and chilli-seasoned
meats’.
Ardbeg Grooves is bottled
at 46% and is a time-limited edition, priced in the £95-100 region. A presumably
6-10 YO that is not all that complex, but just right for the prey theme. A
satisfying pour of whisky, in a lineup that’s tough to compete within. The
wine-finished elements are shy, perhaps too shy! Ignoring the expectations of
wine-influences, this is a pretty good modern scotch with plenty of spice and
lots of sweetness.
It's not yet certain
whether its "Drum" because a Caribbean Steel Drum is so important for
that Caribbean feeling, or "Drum" because it’s Ardbeg DRum – a whisky
with a special twist formed by the finish in rum casks. Anyway – this year’s
Ardbeg Day promises was as colourful as last year’s.
And like every year, there
was an Ardbeg Day Committee Release of the Ardbeg Drum, available only to
club members and only available online directly from Moet Hennessy or in the
distillery itself. On 01 June, collectors and Ardbeg fans were seen striving to stay
hands-on to get a chance to get their hands on one of those Ardbeg Drum
Committee Releases at 52% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: In Drum, fragrant pine resin and woodsmoke dance alongside ripe banana and pineapple in a
downright wondrous paradiddle of aromas, before parading into smoked apples and
dry cocoa powder. Distant ginger, spiced dates and cinnamon sway into floating
notes of lavender.
Taste: On the palate,
waves of smoke, tar and creosote cascade into a dry peppery mouthfeel. Clove,
liquorice and ginger strut towards rich notes of dark chocolate and smoked
vanilla.
Finish: Intense smoke, roasted
coffee liqueur and a treasure trove of sweet spices come together in one
deliciously complex crescendo.
ALSO TO RELEASE 19 YO: FIRST AGE STATED WHISKY IN 20 YEARS
Ardbeg is also all set to
release a 19-year-old single malt Traigh Bhan, its first permanent age-stated whisky to be released
in nearly 20 years.
Named after Islay’s Traigh
Bhan beach, known locally as the Singing Sands, the whisky will be available in
limited batches produced on an annual basis. The whisky’s recipe is set to
change with each batch, creating ‘subtle differences’ between future
iterations. Each batch of Ardbeg Traigh Bhan will feature a unique code on the
carton and bottle, which drinkers can enter into the distillery’s website to find
out more about the ‘story’ of the whisky.
Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s
director of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks, said: ‘A new,
permanent aged Ardbeg is a rare occurrence, and cause for celebration.’
 |
Ardbeg
Traigh Bhan: Singing Sands ‘a perfect reflection’ of the Islay beach
|
Matured in American oak
and ex-oloroso Sherry casks before being bottled at 46.2% abv, Ardbeg Traigh
Bhan’s 2019 expression is said to have ‘intense and rugged’ notes of ‘smoked
chilli chocolate and paprika’ with ‘waves of toasted oak and roasted tea
leaves’ on the palate.
The first batch of Traigh
Bhan will be released in September, priced at £169 and available from
specialist stores worldwide.
The last permanent age-stated expression to join the distillery’s range was Ardbeg 10 Year Old,
which was introduced in 2000. Its core range currently features a series of
no-age-statement single malts named after geographical features of the distillery’s
island home, including Corryvreckan, Uigedail and An Oa, the last of which was
introduced in September 2017.
ARDBEG DAY SPECIAL RELEASES 2016-18
Ardbeg released its Dark Cove expression as the brand’s annual Ardbeg
Day turned to Ardbeg Night to remember the island’s smuggling activities. A
no-age-statement, non-chill-filtered, limited edition whisky, Dark Cove is made
from liquid matured in Sherry casks, married together with “hallmark”
ex-Bourbon cask Ardbeg. On sight the Ardbeg Dark Cove definitely looks dark compared to most Ardbeg, even the Uigeadail. The sherry influence in the Ardbeg Dark Cove is light, but there are some of those dark earthy and nutty notes which are typical with sherried whiskies so the influence is there, but not in a “Oh look, sherry” kind of way. It’s influential, but not overbearing and makes for an interesting whisky.
Dark Cove recalls how early distillers would smuggle whisky from Ardbeg Cove into black-painted ships. So substantial was the illicit whisky trade between the island of Islay and mainland Scotland that excise officers stationed a revenue cutter offshore to intercept smugglers’ boats.
ARDBEG DAY SPECIAL RELEASES 2016-18
Ardbeg DARK COVE recalls
smuggling past Ardbeg Day 2016
Dark Cove recalls how early distillers would smuggle whisky from Ardbeg Cove into black-painted ships. So substantial was the illicit whisky trade between the island of Islay and mainland Scotland that excise officers stationed a revenue cutter offshore to intercept smugglers’ boats.
Ardbeg KELPIE Launched on Ardbeg Day 2017
Named after the ‘Kelpie’ – a
legendary water demon said to live in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Islay coast –
the new expression is the first Ardbeg whisky matured in Black Sea oak
casks.
Sourced from the Adyghe
Republic in Russia by Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of distilling, whisky
creation and whisky stocks, the casks are said to impart ‘incredibly deep
flavours’ to the whisky, which is then married with traditional Ardbeg, aged in
ex-Bourbon barrels.
Ardbeg GROOVES Ardbeg Day
Release 2018
For this year’s bottling, Director
of Distilling, Whisky Creation and Whisky Stocks Dr Bill Lumsden has matured
part of the whisky in re-toasted red wine casks. These casks were intensely
charred to create heavy grooves in the surface of the wood, designed to produce
more intense flavours of ‘smoked spices, distant bonfires and chilli-seasoned
meats’.
Ardbeg Grooves is bottled
at 46% and is a time-limited edition, priced in the £95-100 region. A presumably
6-10 YO that is not all that complex, but just right for the prey theme. A
satisfying pour of whisky, in a lineup that’s tough to compete within. The
wine-finished elements are shy, perhaps too shy! Ignoring the expectations of
wine-influences, this is a pretty good modern scotch with plenty of spice and
lots of sweetness.
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