HARD TO FIND WHISKY MADE EASY

 HTFW: WHISKY SPECIALISTS

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As a family run business since 1991 Hard to Find Whisky (HTFW) has been providing not only the UK but the whole world with the best in vintage and modern whisky. They are a one of a kind store for all your whisky needs. Their whisky specialists are dedicated to bringing you the very best in single malt Whisky, including a huge range of 100s of different whiskies from the World’s leading distilleries, from the 1920s up to today’s new releases.

At Hard To Find Whisky, they have been collecting for more than 30 years. Over that time, they have accumulated a vast amount of unique stock of not just vintage Whisky, but also newer brands at very competitive prices such as Jack Daniels, Johnnie Walker and Proper 12. But it doesn’t stop there; they also stock a wide range of spirits such as Gin Tanqueray, Baileys and Ciroc Vodka including limited edition flavours. Whatever your whisky or spirit needs, Scotch or from another country, you are sure to find them at Hard to Find Whisky.

Which is the best Whisky in the UK?

In a place where whisky is so famous that it’s protected by law, Scotland is the biggest and best producer of whisky in the world, so undoubtedly their best whisky is going to come from Scotland. The Macallan holds the best reputation for high standard malt whisky, which is why it is one of the most sought after whisky labels around. But as you’d expect with such a reputation and its popularity, they do not come cheap. That is why at Hard to Find Whisky, they pride themselves on providing whisky lovers with the most competitive prices for both vintage and new whisky. 

Demand is exceeding supply in many cases and Hard to Find Whisky keeps a close eye on such developments in the market. If you do run out of what was once easy to access whiskies, just check out the collection at  Hard to Find Whisky. You should find it there.

How Many Whisky Distilleries are in the UK?

This is a very exciting time to be part of the UK whisky industry. With whisky becoming even more popular within the UK, many distilleries have taken the opportunity to experiment with their range and production. Expect the number of UK distilleries to grow from over 200, as more brands look to enter the market and provide both new and seasoned whisky lovers with more variety of unique offerings. Expect to see more than 175 in Scotland, with each new addition providing that subtly new nuance to set it apart as unique!

What they do at Hard to Find Whisky

Whatever your whisky or spirit preferences, Hard to Find Whisky they will have the right blend for you. Unlike many drinks and whisky retailers worldwide, Hard to Find Whisky set out to be unique, offering connoisseurs the very best in rare and vintage whisky. They also provide the very best competitive prices and perfect gifts for drinks lovers all over the world. The Hard to Find Group is the place to look when searching for that perfect gift or treat that can truly not be found anywhere else.

Whisky has already become an investable commodity. As more and more new distilleries come up, more and more avenues for investment appear in the shape of a nascent bottle from a still-maturing cask, or the entire cask, depending on the depth of the purse. There’s a difference between owning or buying a cask of whisky and investing in one. The former implies that you’re doing it for a bit of fun, and you plan on drinking, enjoying, and sharing your spoils when you eventually decide to bottle it. Investing in a cask, on the other hand, suggests that the exercise is purely a financial affair, and you’re hoping to make a few bucks out of the deal. Hard to Find Whisky has marketing experts who know what to look for and where to go. They will provide you that elusive bottle at the right price!

Cost of Liquor at Hard to Find Whisky

Liquor has been sold for more generations that one would care to remember. Whisky reached an underground market around 1520 AD principally in Ireland. From rotgut 70% ABV overnight concoctions, legalization of its production in 1823 saw quality improve, no doubt, but good dependable whiskies were relatively expensive. With blended Scotch reaching the market from 1860, distillers and blenders of a brand were locked in market trade battles. Even so, quality would soon play a dominant part. Ireland lost its dominance to Scotch whisky from the early 1900s. Today, whisky has become an investment strategy and prices are moving upwards. At Hard to Find Whisky, they have been collecting high quality products since the 1990s. These will certainly be expensive. Yet a glance at their inventory will show you that thy have affordable high quality liquor as well.

A Few Present Day Popular Sellers

NAME	DESCRIPTION	PRICE GBP      DR Peso
Nemiroff	Ukrainian Vodka	24.95         1695
Nc’nean-Batch 11	Organic Highland Single Malt Whisky	52.95         3600
Lindores Scotch Whisky	Lindores Lowland Single Malt Whisky	54.95         3732
GlenDronach Batch 10	Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky	74.95         5090
Ardmore Premier Barrel	Father’s Day Special Edition 12 YO	74.95         5090
Bunnahabhain Feis Ile	Abhainn Araig 2022 Edition	94.95         6450
Dead Man's Fingers	Mango Tequila Cream Liqueur	18.95         1287

And a few expensive ones as well.

NAME	DESCRIPTION	PRICE
		GBP           DR Peso
Lagavulin Islay Malt 26 YO	2021 Special Release	1650          112,200
Glenturret 30 YO	2021 Special Release	1650          112,200
Bunnahabhain 40 YO	Islay Malt Scotch	1800          122,400
Glen Ord 39 YO	Singleton Special Release	2295          156,060
Glengoyne 36 YO	Russell Family Single Cask 1984	4000          272,000
Port Ellen (silent) 35 YO	Wind & Wave-Single Cask 1983	4000          272,000

Disclaimer: At no stage is excessive consumption of alcohol in any form encouraged. Consumption of alcohol is injurious to health. Be safe: Don’t drink and drive. Above all, drink responsibly.

SOMETHING SPECIAL LEGACY DUE SOON IN INDIA

 SOMETHING SPECIAL LEGACY SET FOR DEBUT IN INDIA?

THE PRELUDE

Something Special is still a premium Blended Scotch whisky, the no.1 Scotch whisky in the Dominican Republic, the no 2. in Colombia and overall no.3 premium Scotch whisky brand in South America. It’s considered an outgoing and sociable whisky that celebrates life, an optimistic attitude and everyday success. As may be seen in the photos both above and below, it is an NAS expression today and the decanter, while retaining its diamond cut, has been slimmed down a mite. The decanter of its newest release, the Something Special LEGACY, is unique and quite a collector's item.

Something Special made its debut in Latin America in 2004 as a 12 YO Blended Scotch whisky, 92 years after its first creation in 1912. The award-winning 12 YO blend contains fine Speyside malt whiskies and is sculptured around the outstanding Longmorn single malts, embellished by classy single malts from the Glenlivet, Glen Grant, Laphroaig and Allt A Bhainne distilleries, among others, which are melded together in Strathclyde Single Grain whisky to give it its unmistakably smoky sweetness. The hint of peaty character is imbued from a single malt produced at the Allt À Bhainne distillery in Keith, Speyside. The Islay contribution is made by an unpeated whisky from, surprisingly, Laphroaig, a distillery well-known for its unmistakable pungent, medicinal and smoky spirit. This expression is said to age in Bourbon and Sherry casks but the Sherry influence in this blend seems minimal.

The Something Special 15 YO made its debut in 2006. The producers soon saw their Longmorn stock running low, resulting in a drastic change. Something Special turned NAS in 2010. The iconic bottle was slimmed down, but stayed in the 'Decanter' mold. The lead picture captures this changeover. It is now carried by Allt A Bhaine, Glen Grant, Strathisla, Braeval, Aberlour and The Glenlivet. All these malts feature, among others, in the Chivas Regal family, the 12, 15 and 18 YOs.

But India is yet to see the Something Special LEGACY, a continuation of the Something Special 15 YO which never came to India, and which NAS expression features prominently in Latin America. The new edition of Something Special Legacy made its debut in 2015 in Colombia and quickly moved into the Latin American market, before reaching Europe via Spain. This is simply superb, virtually another level of Whisky. But the Something Special 15 YO went off the market, a familiar trend when one looks up Something Special 12 YO.

An excellent non-age stated super premium, with a superior aging process that stands out for its smooth fruity flavour and aromas of malts, perfect to drink on the rocks, neat, or in a cocktail. This exclusive blend was made by a new Master Blender: David Boyd; which was inspired by the tradition of the founders of the Hill & Thompson brand who began blending whiskies in Scotland in 1793.

The main features of Something Special LEGACY NAS are:

Nose: When you pour this Blend in your glass you immediately get Peat and Light Smoke that remind you of a light Islay whisky. However, the Peat and Smoke are driven back quickly to the back of the glass and Dried Fruits, Grain, Wood, Nuts and Malt come into play. Caramel, sweet toffee, blackcurrant, red fruits such as raspberry, vanilla and canned apples. Sweet, complex and well balanced.

Taste: Sweet (Sugar, Honey) and Spicy Oak. Very soft and fruity. Elegant and slightly spicy. When adding four or five drops of water, the peat smelt on the nose withdraws to the background and floral and mineral tones appear. The palate however just gets watered down. So you can nose this blend with and without a few drops of water but best drink it neat.

Finish: Not overly long and quickly getting dry. Some Cocoa Powder, Nuts and Wood. The grain whisky is felt.

General Remarks: The Longmorn Distillery (Speyside) was the home of this Blend. Something Special contained a lot of the Longmorn 15 Years, maybe as much as 35%. Its non-availability required filler malts. The Distillery is currently owned by the French Pernod Ricard Group, that also owns Chivas Regal. Today it still flourishes in Latin America and in countries like Venezuela, Uruguay and Colombia.

After the initial success of the slim NAS bottling, the Something Special LEGACY is certainly headed for India.

BON ACCORD REVISITED

 Union Glen & Bon-Accord Distilleries

DYERS HALL LANE WITH THE UNION GLEN CHIMNEY IN THE BACKGROUND

Bon Accord is something of a Frankenstein distillery – established using the stills and vessels of the failed Union Glen distillery, transported into the shell of the former brewery next door. ‘Bon Accord,’ or ‘good agreement’ – was the watchword of the Scots on that wintry night in the old Churchyard, when the English were attacked by the townspeople in the time of Bruce, in March 1296 CE. Without this password, they would not have been able to distinguish friend from foe.

Union Glen Distillery lay along Dyers Hall Lane. The name derives from the days when the old Dyers’Association met there, amidst a row of typical Scottish urban cottages. It was felt after WWII that it would be too costly to preserve the cottages for their historic interest, although they were among the few remaining examples of 18th century houses in the City; they were demolished in 1956.

Union Glen Distillery was built in the year 1820. The assets were sequestered in 1853 and dismantled in 1855, the stills and other vessels being purchased by the former proprietor of the Bon-Accord Distillery.

Bon-Accord Distillery was established in 1855 and the Union Glen equipment incorporated into an earlier Brewery Site  of Cadenhead, Barron, & Co. Brewers, Newbridge, Hardgate, established in 1785.  In the following decades, Bon-Accord developed into one of the largest Pot Still producers of Malt Whisky in Scotland.  Bon-Accord was formally incorporated as a Limited Company in 1876. 

Over the years, the Distillery suffered several fires, until a major fire destroyed much of the complex in 1885. Production was halted for a long period and never fully recovered. The Distillery was then rebuilt.  However, the Company never fully recovered from the effects of this fire and the owners liquidated it in 1896.   A merger of the Distilleries Dailuaine & Talisker took over the Distillery and passed it under the name North of Scotland.

Operation was resumed but under a new name: North of Scotland Distillery.  With 2-Pot Stills and six 10,000 gallon washbacks, it had an annual production of 300,000 gals.  In 1910, a further major fire resulted in high material damage. Since the distillery could no longer reach its former market share, it was finally closed in 1913.

Dailuaine Distillery on Speyside was established in 1851 by William Mackenzie and in 1879, his son Thomas formed Mackenzie & Company with James Fleming. The Distillery was rebuilt and renamed The Dailuaine-Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. in 1884.  Dailuaine derives from the Scottish Gaelic ‘An dail uaine’ meaning ‘Green Valley’. In 1898, Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd was formed when it was merged with Talisker Distillery Ltd. along with Imperial Distillery. The group acquired Bon-Accord Distillery in the Hardgate, Aberdeen and renamed it North of Scotland.

Established as North of Scotland Distillery Co Ltd. by Dailuaine-Talisker Distilleries Ltd. – opened circa 1898 – closed 1913. The North of Scotland Distillery was also referred to as Bon-Accord Distillery in local records.

Several Distilleries in Aberdeen including the North of Scotland Distillery were destroyed by fire. On 27th September 1904, over 88,000 gals of whisky, valued at 1/6d per gal, was lost in the North of Scotland Distillery fire and total damage was estimated at £108,000. The Daluaine-Talisker Distillery burned for over 12 hrs. It is believed that a workman accidentally started the fire whilst trying to repair a barrel.

Fires in distilleries were rather common, as the Scots didn’t have the good sense to keep flammable materials far from any source of fire. Keeping thousands of litres of spirit close to open coal fires under the pot still was a classic example. In this case, a blazing stream of spirit poured from the Bonded Warehouse down to the Ferryhill Burn and the City Sewage System. The scene was described as a perfect Inferno with the spirituous flames almost free of smoke, belching forth with ever-increasing fury. Leaping from the ground ‘as from a huge Christmas pudding – the flames swirled & twisted with lightning-like rapidity into the most extraordinary forms imaginable‘.

THE UNION GLEN IN 1901

Charles Barnard paid a visit to this distillery. He relates it in his inimitable style. The route used was from the Guild Street Station to the Bon-Accord Distillery through the noble New Market Buildings, left up Union Street, and along the Bon Accord Terrace. Here they turned sharply to the right, and descended a Steep Hill (Cherry Bank Gardens) into Union Glen, the most prominent object there, on the opposite Slope, being the Distillery on the Hardgate. There is a lively Rivulet running past the Works called the Ferryhill Burn (Holburn), but its Waters are not used in the Works, and it is allowed to pursue the Course of its own sweet will unmolested and into the River Dee.

The Distillery dates back to the year 1785, when it was an Old Brewery, (Webster & Co?) and supplied the notables of that period with its famous “Stingo” (an old nickname for a strong Barley Wine).  It is also in the vicinity of the former property of the Old Union Glen Distillery, Built in 1820 and dismantled in 1855, the Stills and other vessels being purchased by the former proprietor of Bon-Accord Distillery.  In the year 1876 the whole of the Bon-Accord Property was acquired by the present Limited company, the North of Scotland Distillery who made extensive alterations and improvements to it; but early in 1885 all the old buildings, except No.4 Granary and No.2 Malt Barns, were burnt to the ground. As proof  of the enterprise of this company and the diligence of the contractor,  the whole Distillery, with the exception of the ancient buildings referred to, was rebuilt in a larger and more modern style, fitted up and furnished in 11 months.  It extended from New Bridge, Hardgate to the Willowbank Road.

The Distillery, built of solid granite, is of handsome elevation and covers nearly 3-acres of ground. The Works consists of a quadrangular block of buildings, with a projecting Wing on the left at the back of the new offices & board room. We were admitted to the Spiritual Precincts through a postern gate and found ourselves in a covered roadway or court, 140-ft long & 16-ft wide which led to all the departments of the establishment.  We made our Tour of Inspection under the guidance of John Thomson, the Manager of the distillery, who explained to us the arrangements & modus operandi as we went along. We were struck by the neatness & order displayed in every department, and the ingenuity which had contrived the arrangement & position of the vessels. The guide 1st led the way to the Barley Lofts & Maltings, so that we might follow the process from the beginning.

These Maltings are Built on the Steep part of the Hill, and a Roadway through an Outer Yard on the same Property has been constructed to the Doors of the Barley Lofts so that the Grain can be tipped directly onto the Floor without the use of Hoists or Elevators.  We began to Ascend the moment we left the Covered Roadway and gradually passed round by means of Staircases to the South-east angle of the Works, where are the No.s 1 & 2 Maltings, Built in the shape of the letter ‘L’, and which Farm the Wing of the Distillery before referred to.  One of these Buildings, which is designated as the No.1 Granary & Maltings, is 154-ft Long & 49-ft Broad.  It is a Lofty Structure and is divided into 3-Floors, each of which is well lit and supported by massive Iron Columns.

The Top Storey is the Granary, and the same idea of its size & capacity may be ascertained by the fact that it will hold 5,000-Quarters of barley. At its Northern end there are 2-Steeps, each capable of wetting 60-Quarters at one time. These Metal Steeps are sunk into the Floor, and their contents discharged on to the Lower Floor by the simple contrivance of a Lever Screw, which raises the Sluices from the bottom. This Malting Floor is concreted, and of same dimensions as the Granary above. The 3rd or Basement Floor is a Bonded Warehouse. We now paid a visit to the No.2 Granary, which communicates with the others, but is not quite so large. Here there is a Cock-loft in the Roof 128-ft Long & 19-ft Broad, holding 2,000-Quarters of barley, whilst the Granary Floor underneath, which is of the same length, but 40-feet Broad, will hold 3,000-Quarters of Grain. Under this Floor there are 2-Warehouses of same dimensions.  Before leaving this Section of the Works our Guide conducted us to the Platform on the Roof to see the huge Water-Tank, which covers part of the No.2 Granary, and holds 45,000-gals.  We may here state that the Company possess a Well about 100-ft Deep, which cost £3,000 to Sink, and it is that Water which is pumped up to this Tank. Where we stand is the highest point of the Distillery, and the Prospect, although not extensive, is interesting, embracing on one side the City, with its Monuments & Stately Buildings, the Harbour & the North Sea; on the other, the Strawberry Bank, Crowned by Bon-Accord Terrace and at the back, the Grounds of Willowbank.

We now descended to the ground level, and crossed the roadway to the other Granary Building which farms a portion of the Old Works created in 1788 and spared by the late Fire.  It is a 3-Storey Structure, 108-ft Long & 19-ft Broad. The top holds 1,000-Quarters of barley, the 2nd is a concreted Malting, whilst the Basement farms the No.4 Bond. Adjoining the Main Building and at the end of the new Maltings there is a Lofty Kiln, 36-ft square & 65-ft high, Floored with Metal Plates, heated with Peats from Orkney and shut off from the other Buildings by a double set of Swing Iron Doors.  Exactly opposite and at the end of the Old Maltings, and forming a part of the Central Block, is another Kiln of similar size & dimensions, the intervening space between the 2 being filled up by the Malt Deposit Room, said to be one of the largest in the North of Scotland; it is 65-ft Long by 33-ft Wide & 16-ft high, holds 1,200-Quarters and is filled from either or both of the Kilns. 

We now descended by a Stair to the Malt Mill, which contains a pair of Metal Rollers, and is fed from a Chamber above, which communicates with the Malt Deposit through a Doorway shut off by a pair of Fire-proof Doors.  On the same Floor as the Mill is the Engine House, containing a capital horizontal Steam Engine of 30-hp, which, with a small Donkey Engine, used for Pumping Water to the Boiler & Driving the Chains in the Stills, etc, is the only Motive Power on the Premises, so much being accomplished by Gravitation.  At the right hand we now pass through a Doorway into the Mash House, 34-ft x 27-ft & 30-ft high, entirely devoted to the Brewing Department As we pass along Mr Thomson described to us how the Ground Malt is lifted by the Elevators to the Grist Chamber above, and we climb a Stair to have a Peer into the Hopper which fills the Mouth of the Steel’s Mashing Machine, where the Hot Water joins the Grist and never leaves its company again until they Bath become Etherealised, and start on their Voyage to minister to the enjoyment of mankind.  But to return to the Mash House; on an Iron Bridge above the Tun are 2-Heating Tanks with a capacity together of 11,000 gals, and underneath, in the Centre of the Floor, is the Mash Tun, a Circular Iron Vessel 17-ft in dia & 6-ft Deep, containing the usual Drawing Plates & Stirring Gear, the draught from which is pumped into the Grains Receiver and can be dropped from there, either into the Courtyard or into the Farmers’ Carts. 

The Underback, which is constructed of Metal, is under the Mash Tun and holds 4,000-gals. From that receptacle the Worts are Pumped by a Centrifugal Pump to the Worts Receiver holding 3,000-gals, which rests on 3-Iron Beams over the Court-way, and from whence the Worts run through a Morton’s Refrigerator into the Fermenting Tuns.  We now entered the Back-house, a Stone Structure 50-ft Long, 36-ft Wide & 30-ft High, possessing a double Staging Floor constructed with stout Pine laths.  It contains 6–Washbacks, each holding 10,000-gals, the Switches of which are driven by Steam.  The Basement of this large Building is used for Cleaning, Steaming & Storing Casks, and the Floor is concreted. We now leave the Covered Warehouse and pass through an Open Court into the Boiler House, which contains a Steam Boiler 26-ft Long & 7-ft in dia, over which is placed the Wash Charger holding 10,000-gals. This is rather a good arrangement, as the Wash gets warm before running into the Stills.

We were now conducted through a Doorway into the next Building, which is the Still- house. It is 65-ft Long, 36-ft Wide & 30-ft High, and contains 4-Pot Stills, 2 of them being Wash and 2–Spirit Stills. The former contain each 3,600-gals, and the latter 2,036 gals each, all heated by Open Furnaces. The Worm Tub forms the Roof of the Boiler House, and is constructed on a new principle. It consists of a Deep Iron Tank, 62-ft Long & 20-ft Broad, wherein are coiled 4 distinct Warms, the peculiarity of which consists of the lLiquor being divided into 16 separate parts, in the centre of the Warm, and after running over a 100-ft in this Warm, is again collected and conducted in one pipe to the Spirit Receiver. This Warm Tank is copiously supplied with cold water through a perforated pipe extending along the bottom the whole length of the Tank, and the heated water is taken of the top by an overflow pipe at each end of the Tank.  On a Gallery at the end of the Still-house is placed the safe, also a Low-wines & Feints Receiver, holding 3.412-gals, and a Spirit Receiver 3,440-gals.

We now returned to the Covered Court and visited the Spirit Store – a neat Apartment 50-ft Long, 33-ft Wide & 12ft High, containing a Vat which holds 5,000 gals, and receives the Spirit from the Receiver by Gravitation. From there we passed on to the Bottling Store, which is at the side of the Main Entrance, and is 30-ft long, 27-ft Wide & 15-ft High, well lit & Floored with cement.  The Manager informed us that the Company only Bottle for Export, and Ship same under Bond, the Brand being the well-known “Cock-o’-the-North.”  A representation of the Game-cock, forming a part of the Registered Trade Mark of the Company, has for upwards of a Century adorned the Parapet of the Main Entrance to the Distillery. The 4 large Bonded Warehouses already referred to, are capable of storing upwards of 8,000 Casks, and are all well lit & ventilated. There is a Cooperage in the outer Yard, and Goods Store Sheds. Over 20-men are employed on the premises, and there are 3-Excise Officers.  The Whisky is Fine Malt, and the Distillery is capable of producing over 300,000 gals annually which entitles “Bon-Accord” to rank as one of the largest Highland Malt Distilleries in Scotland.

 

NORTH OF SCOTLAND DISTILLERY TODAY

HYPERNOVA TAKES OVER FROM SUPERNOVA

 Ardbeg Hypernova 2022 Release AT OR POST FEIS ILE?

Ardbeg has already announced both the Committee Member’s and general public’s versions of their latest creation, the Ardbeg Ardcore. Ardbeg Day for the 2022 Feis Ile has been set for June 4th this year, online and at the Ardbeg Distillery. And to celebrate the upcoming events, Ardbeg launched what they call a new “punk rock” expression, the Ardcore.

On January 10 this year, a new set of labels for the American version of Ardbeg Whisky has appeared on the Internet. According to the label, its corresponding wine is called Hypernova 2022 Release, which means that the Hypernova may be jumping off the shoulder of the Supernova series, with a progressive increase in phenol content, ppm.

What is known as of today is:

• Ardbeg to release Ardbeg Hypernova expression in 2022 as a Committee Release.
• Said to be the smokiest Ardbeg till date, "notes of pungent peat smoke, aniseed and toasted lavender, while bitter almonds and dark chocolates fuse with curious hints of plasticine and burnt rubber. Descend into a finish that collapses in on itself, before returning to earthy notes of roasted coffee and smoky heather."
• Bottled at 51% ABV.
• The toasted lavender and smoky heather notes are beguiling, which may be interpreted as the use of peated floor malted barley from Port Ellen and the use of heather in the kilns during malting. We'll only get to know when released. Evidently, we're getting a first glimpse of a new Committee Release.
• Labels submitted to the TTB have confirmed that Ardbeg Hypernova 2022 (HN22) Committee Release will be a limited edition, heavily peated single malt Scotch whisky.

The label upfront gives us standard but mandated data. The 750 ml bit shows that this bottle is heading into the USA. Then the trademark Ardbeg dramatic para:

Propel your palate at full force towards the smokiest dram ever to mature into existence at Ardbeg. Discover fabric-tearingly intense notes of tar, creosote and soot. Venture further into the glass and explore ethereal whispers of aniseed, smoke and dark chocolate.

The rear label also reveals a lot. The phenol content is very high at more than 101 ppm.

"Possibly the smokiest dram in the world (this one at least), Hypernova possesses a malty magnitude never before experienced. This is a brutally smoky dram that radiates flavour in every direction. Undoubtedly Ardbeg's smokiest spirit, HN22 is a cataclysmic event for the Distillery. It's big, it's intense and it's pulling palates into a whole new dimension...

Explore notes of pungent peat smoke, aniseed and toasted lavender, while bitter almonds and dark chocolates fuse with curious hints of plasticine and burnt rubber. Descend into a finish that collapses in on itself, before returning to earthy notes of roasted coffee and smoky heather."   

Again, the toasted lavender and smokey heather notes. Do they come from heather being toasted in the kiln during malting? Heather is an evergreen pink shrub found in Scotland, even specifically named Scotch heather, that is known to hold peat about its roots and offers a woody and mossy, but also gentle honeysuckle scent. Generally it is known to be of light floral tones and heavy musky notes. Patience!

The bottle remains the standard Ardbeg. 

                                              THE HYPERNOVA                   20 SOMETHING                      FON FHOID

The Ardbeg Twenty Something series, which is into the third bottling, is a look back into past whisky stocks of this fan favourite Scotch distillery. At one time Ardbeg was on life support, with new whisky being made in extremely limited amounts and only a small amount of casks being laid down. Things are quite different there today, and with some of that old whisky still sitting around ageing, it has been decided to put it into a limited edition offering geared towards Ardbeg Committee fan club members.

The third Ardbeg Twenty Something bottling, as we now know, is a 22-year-old expression which spent its entire time in ex-bourbon barrels. It is a pale gold-coloured Scotch bottled at 46.4% ABV and priced around at £440 (~$575$) when it went on sale exclusively to Committee Members through the Ardbeg website. It offers an incredibly flavourful, silky quality which is exceptional; the best way to celebrate those whisky lovers who helped keep Ardbeg alive during its darkest days. It was created with spirit from the retired Still which now stands in the Distillery courtyard, a magnificent reminder as to why Ardbeg should never be allowed to disappear. Ardbeg Twenty Something is for those who believed wholeheartedly in the Ardbeg Distillery, which is why it’s fitting that this rare whisky – a 22 YO – will be enjoyed by loyal Committee Members, who maintain that same belief.

The aroma is deep and sultry, perfumed with that classic Ardbeg coastal smoke, only dialled up with more camphor, sweet baking spice, and fruits. Ripe peaches and grilled pineapple add a bright sweetness that beautifully complements subtler floral notes of lavender and honeysuckle. The palate is silky with the well-tempered smoke of a forgotten campfire on the beach. A bit of lavender reemerges, along with a savoury dimension of sweet glazed ham and a bit of wood-driven spice. It’s gently warming from the outset and continues into a lingering finish spiced with a bit of clove and cinnamon and soft, ashy peat smoke. There are glimmers of this whisky in the Traigh Bhan, Ardbeg’s oldest offering off its current stills, but whether the distillery can produce another “twenty-something” single malt with this kind of balance and complexity, only time will tell.

Ardbeg has also released its first NFT (non-fungible token) single malt whisky, which was buried in a peat bog for nearly three years, the Ardbeg Fon Fhoid NFT. With the release of a limited edition collectable from its Ardbeg single malt Scotch whisky brand, Moët Hennessy has become the latest spirits brand owner to enter the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Ardbeg Fon Fhòid NFT will be available only on BlockBar.com, a website that sells NFTs (digital assets) directly from premium liquor brands, with each NFT corresponding to a real bottle. A whisky NFT is limited to 456 units and costs 1.00 Ethereum, or $3,100 (at the time of writing).

Ardbeg Fon Fhòid was bottled from casks buried for nearly three years. Two casks of Ardbeg whisky, aged in second-fill Bourbon casks, were buried in a peat bog for two years and 10 months near the distillery. The whisky’s name, Ardbeg Fon Fhòid, takes inspiration from this and means ‘under the turf’ in Scottish Gaelic. Bottled at 45.5% ABV, Ardbeg Fon Fhòid will be priced at 1 ETH, roughly £2,363 (US$3,100).

The time spent underground is said to have given the whisky ‘earthy, mossy and herbal’ flavours, rather than Ardbeg’s trademark ‘intense smoky notes’. Ardbeg’s has earthed and then unearthed a truly special Ardbeg here. Ardbeg Fon Fhòid is earthy and mossy with one hell of a herbal nose. Ardbeg Fon Fhòid is limited to 456 bottles, which was available to purchase exclusively on blockbar.com at 10am EST on 19 April.

Successful buyers will receive a digital certificate that will verify their ownership and the authenticity of the bottle. Bottles will be stored at Block Bar’s facility in Singapore until they’re redeemed. Buyers can also trade their NFT within the blockbar.com marketplace, store the bottle in their virtual bar, or offer the NFT through the company’s new gifting platform.

THE ADVENT OF THE HYPERNOVA

The Supernova Saga: As stocks of maturing casks went up steeply, Ardbeg went into overdrive.  They introduced their famous and well-documented Ardbeg Supernova Heavily Peated Series.

ARDBEG SUPERNOVA (SN 2009) 

Ardbeg Supernova has been a true phenomenon since the Advance Committee Release sold out in a matter of hours back in January 2009. This was the peatiest Ardbeg ever at over 100 ppm. It was also the first Committee release in the USA. 3,000 bottles were released to the Committee, reaching a final outtake of 21,000. The coded format of this bottle is SN2009.

ABV:  58.9%

COLOUR: A light golden wheat colour. Lovely legs, showing that this is a very oily whisky.

NOSE: Classic Ardbeg with peat, iodine, TCP, oil, petrol, road tar, pungent stuff, black pepper, chilli, dry earth. The peat is not overwhelming, but rather smooth and well-balanced with some floral notes.  There are hints of vanilla sweetness. Another fairly dominant note is smoked crispy bacon. With water it is slightly more balanced the sweetness comes through more and lasts better with surprisingly, some heather honey; it also becomes slightly softer.

PALATE: Thick and creamy with peat, saltiness and notes of spices.  Another fairly dominant note is smoked crispy bacon. With water it is slightly more balanced the sweetness comes through more and lasts better; the notes of bitter orange with some honeyed sweetness is also smoothed out. Even though the ABV is so high, there is no alcohol bite. Just smooth sweet peat and sweetness, perfectly balanced to create a fantastic drinking experience.

FINISH: Builds slowly to end in peaty, spicy notes.  There are medicinal notes with hints of smoke and bitter orange again. Some bitter chocolate as well, which fades into nothingness with water. Nice and lengthy finish.

THE SUPERNOVA 2010 (SN 2010)

ABV: 60.1%

COLOUR: Slightly dark wheat gold. Nice and oily.

This expression Features in Dominic Roskrow’s 1001 Whiskies You Must Try Before You Die. A limited release back by popular demand, this 2010 edition has a deeper, earthier character with the same phenomenal peatiness as the 2009 edition. Much sought after but sadly pretty much unavailable. Only 18,000 bottles were produced.

The 2009 edition was the most heavily peated whisky in the world for a brief moment (Ardbeg’s whisky is usually peated to a level of 50-55 PPM, but this Supernova has the same level of around 100 PPM).

NOSE: High-pitched citrus, chocolate, hazelnut, brine, fish oil, black licorice. All are very light, bright, sharp, high-pitched, and astringent (in a good way). Strong aromas of peat smoke, slightly medicinal; soon creamy maltiness comes to play, then coffee beans, a hint of ginger, pink grapefruit and quite surprisingly traces of freshly mowed grass.

PALATE: Spicy with lots of peat, red chilli peppers and black pepper but soon revealing its sweeter side with toffee, orange zest and steaming white coffee. Tar, industrial peat, earth, honey-mustard, black licorice, bright, light citrus, with little or no astringency.

FINISH: Long, warming and spicy, tobacco, Tabasco sauce, allspice, hint of sea salt with a touch of white chocolate. Bright, light honey, industrial peat, lavender, gentle floral notes, and a somewhat “fermented” note.

OVERALL: Crisp and clean. This has many of the typical Ardbeg flavours you’d expect. Still somehow bright and refreshing, despite the power and ABV. It’s not as heavy or severe as the Corryvreckan. At 60%, it’s no delicate flower either. There is a certain fermented note/ cheesiness which is distinctive. The obscure flavours do shine, but the classic Ardbeg profile is captivating. The peat here is large and in charge. Very potent, and very clear. Certainly, there are more complex Ardbegs than this, but few can match this one’s vividness and intensity. 

SUPERNOVA THIRD RELEASE 2014 (SN 2014)

This whisky is the third edition of the Supernova bottling from the cult Islay distillery of Ardbeg.  It was released to coincide with the return of a very special sample of Ardbeg.  The distillery had sent a vial to the International Space Station in a cargo spacecraft in October 2011.  It orbited the earth on the International Space Station ever since and it landed back on earth in 2014.  This sample was analysed in depth at the distillery and results were made public.

The Supernova series is labelled as being Ardbeg's peatiest-ever malt.  This time around, Ardbeg Supernova was a Committee Release (Ardbeg’s loyalty program) SN2014, with only 3000 bottles produced. The 2014 Ardbeg Supernova is different from the previous two Supernova Releases in that it has a greater amount of sherry-finished whisky and a significant increase in younger malt in the blend. It was bottled at the cask strength of 55% ABV and was sold out, just like its predecessors.

THE ARDBEG SUPERNOVA 2014 (SN 2014)

COLOUR: Pale lemon yellow

ABV: 55%

NOSE: The aroma of peat smoke immediately catches the nostrils. But it is lighter and thinner than expected. This has a hot, peppery and sooty edge. The peat here is more vegetal, barnyard peat than peat smoke. With time, other aromas begin to shine through - malty cereals, burnt oat cookies, golden syrup and icing sugar plus hints of lemon zest and something floral that is difficult to pinpoint.

PALATE: There is an instant mix of profound sweetness and intense, savoury smokiness.  The sweetness is reminiscent of golden syrup and icing sugar, while the smoke has a distinct sooty, ashy, coal-like quality.  This later becomes slightly hotter and more earthy/mossy.  Rather than battling against each other, the two elements complement each other well.  In a similar fashion to the nose a malty cereal barley note battles its way through the intensity, as does increasing zesty lemon.  There are also hints of buttery shortbread, red chilli, white chocolate and a pinch of saltiness. The real strength of this Supernova rises till it peaks midpalate.

FINISH: The finish is very long and intense.  The sweeter elements fade quickly and leave the smoke and peatiness to smoulder away for what seems like ages.  It becomes increasingly dry, ashy and acrid with the spicy chilli-like heat slowly fading.

OVERALL: The 2014 Ardbeg Supernova is disappointing. Ardbeg has established the Supernova line as one of their showcase series, and they’ve priced it accordingly. But the 2014 release pales in comparison to the 2009 and 2010 releases. Part of the problem with this expression is the amount of young malt in the blend. In a peated whisky, young malt isn’t a bad thing, as young peated whisky can offer a lot of interesting elements to the equation. But the young malt in the 2014 Ardbeg Supernova isn’t properly balanced out with deeper, older malt.

THE ARDBEG SUPERNOVA 2015 (SN 2015)

This is the fourth (and Ardbeg says, final) edition of the Supernova bottling created for the Ardbeg Committee, to celebrate the conclusion of Ardbeg’s experiment in space. When first released in 2009, it was Ardbeg's peatiest whisky to date at 100ppm vs. their traditional 55ppm peat level; this peat level has stayed true for all Supernova bottlings, though the proof has decreased slightly over the years with this one hitting 54.3% ABV. All Supernovas have been in high demand and this final release should be no different, particularly with the imagery on the bottle referencing Ardbeg's space whisky's tasting results. Sadly, only 3,000 bottles were released to the Committee.

You’ll find there’s a lot going on beneath the peated surface of the Supernova 2015 (SN 2015): a lot of crisp, meaty bacon cooking on that campfire, for starters. And there’s an underlying sweetness, too, with notes of tropical fruit—pineapple, melon, a touch of lime—that comes to the fore with the addition of a little water.

Of course, if it’s the peat and smoke you’re after, the 100 ppm Supernova doesn’t disappoint. Ash, burning leaves, briny seaweed notes, a bit of old-school cough medicine… in short, a classic Islay malt. Many of the traditional Ardbeg usual suspects are here, particularly the savoury, meaty and ashy profile, but green grass, dried fruits, and crushed cookies also make their mark, albeit in tiny doses. Some sweet malt appears, but your palate is soon flooded with prickly spice, tar, iodine, and campfire smoke. If you add some water, the whisky fattens and softens just a bit with sweet malt dousing the flames so to speak. Try this whisky both ways to see which you prefer, but if water is added, add just a few drops.

COLOUR : Golden

ABV : 54.3%

NOSE : Basically smells like a smokier Ardbeg 10. Peat, fruit, malt, vanilla frosting, citrus and a nice malty sweetness glide out of the glass followed by lighter notes of Twizzlers and a slight bit of harsh alcohol bite.

PALATE: Peaty and similar to the aroma but with a richer tropical and orchard fruit flavor. Vanilla, light toffee, hazelnuts and a spiced fruity cake follow into the finish.

FINISH: Long and peaty with notes of orchard fruit, malt and a light bit of spice.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL : A rerun of the 2014. Not quite balanced with the peat overshadowing everything else. Medium body and a slick oily texture.

OVERALL

Ardbeg Supernova 2015 is a peaty beast of whisky. Like all of the previous Supernovas it’s the most heavily peated whisky Ardbeg puts out but that peaty powerhouse comes at a cost and that cost is balance. There are some nice fruity notes that come through, but they’re overshadowed by the denseness of the smoky peat. If they came through a bit more and brought a nicer balance to the whisky then it’d be a super duper whisky which would help reduce some of the sting from its hefty price tag. While the 2015 Ardbeg Supernova isn’t a fully balanced monster the prevalence of the fruity notes show signs that one could be on the horizon if Ardbeg allowed some of the barrels to age more, letting some of the peat die out and bring up those fruity flavours to create a nice balance. 

 THE ARDBEG SUPERNOVA 2019 (SN 2019)

2019 brought to the retail market a new limited release of Ardbeg Supernova. Said to be the peatiest whiskey in the Ardbeg lineup at 100 ppm, it has been described as a “peat bomb” or “peat explosion.” It was last seen like its predecessors on retail shelves back in 2015 as part of a celebration to mark the brand sending some of its spirit into space to orbit the Earth for three years with the International Space Station. Enter into realms of sweet treacle toffee, and navigate thick clouds of aniseed, menthol and soot, before finally re-emerging through a dense nebular of peat and smoke.

Young peat super monsters generally seem to do well at a young age, but they require careful balancing to prevent them from becoming stomach-turners. All that peat often leads to a surprising level of complexity in a malt that otherwise might take twice as long to mature to anything worthwhile. Once again, only 3,000 bottles were made available to its Committee Members at € 180.

COLOUR: Pale bronze

ABV: 53.8%

NOSE: It’s a full-body peat that wafts into your nose. The smell is quite voluptuous and strong, yet pleasant. This is not a “knock your socks off” smokey peat smell, nor is it acrid. For a Scotch, the smell seems very balanced between peat and sweetness which seems weird for the being the peatiest whisky brand. But this facet was obviously noted as lacking in the 2014 and the 2015 ‘final’ bottling. The low ABV for a Supernova is indicative of the presence of older whiskies. Vetiver and wet grass; sandalwood; concentrated lemon juice; honey; vanilla pudding. Wonderfully complex.

PALATE: The flavour of this single malt Scotch is very buttery and spicy with a smoky finish. Lemon meringue pie, with an emphasis on the lemon. It’s very smooth going down. For one of the peatiest whiskies in the world, this is one of the smoothest you might ever encounter.

FINISH: Very long. Smoky, spicy and sweet. BBQ sauce. Lemon pudding. Vanilla cream. Demerara sugar. Chardonnay.

OVERALL: Extra peat apparently means extra cost. And that makes sense to an extent, although the majority of the high price is due to the fact that this is a limited release with a high amount of demand, and therefore Ardbeg can set the price as they know it will sell out regardless. This is not a beginner’s whisky. But if you’re a well-versed peat head and an Ardbeg fan, then Supernova 2019 is worth trying. 

UPDATE: HYPERNOVA, THE SMOKIEST ARDBEG… EVER!

Hypernova is the late-2022 Committee Release from Ardbeg. There’s usually at least a couple of these limited edition bottlings each year but what makes this one particularly eye-catching is the ppm count, in other words, the amount of peat smoke in the malt. Hypernova apparently has a ppm count of 170, making it officially the smokiest Ardbeg of all time. However, the ppm count of the barley is only part of the story.

The peat smoke absorbed by barley changes and evolves, even decreases, throughout the distillation process. Therefore, a high ppm count pre-distillation doesn’t always translate into an ultra smoky whisky in the bottle. The unique quirks in production that can be found at each distillery have an effect on the flavour of the whisky, with Lagavulin and Caol Ila providing the  example. Those two Diageo-owned distilleries use the same malt from the same maltings, are peated to the same ppm, yet the whiskies are very different.

Bruichladdich’s Octomore series has rather set the bar for outrageously high ppm levels but that whisky often surprises people. The slender stills at Bruichladdich promote lighter, elegant spirits, meaning Octomore often isn’t as smoky as expected. At Ardbeg, the stills are of a very different design but, thanks to the addition of purifiers on the lyne arms of the spirit stills, a similar effect takes place. The purifier filters away some of the heavier vapours that make it to the lyne arm. Those heavier compounds drop into the purifier pipe and return to the pot to be distilled again, whilst the lighter vapours carry on toward the condensers. So whilst Hypernova is, without a doubt, a very heavily peated whisky, it may not be as intense as you imagine it to be.

Ardbeg is well-known for its brightly-coloured, often bizarrely-named limited editions, which seem to annoy some purists, a somewhat baffling response. The clientele is getting younger as the world grows older. Must all marketing carry a sombre, ultra-serious tone? Should we go back to the days of old-fashioned labelling, when bottles were adorned by stags and tartan and glens and bens? Where the only information on the label was a number? When whisky was a man’s drink and no one would dare to be so reckless as to use a single malt in a cocktail?

Of course, people are free to choose how they spend their money and if the latest release from Ardbeg isn’t to their taste, that’s completely understandable. It would be boring if everyone liked the same thing. The internet is totally globalised. So it is with whisky marketing strategies. Not every release needs to be tailored to the individual’s personal taste.

Why Hypernova? Doesn’t hyper sound more upscale than super? There’s your answer. The previous “smokiest ever Ardbeg” was called Supernova and the definition of a Hypernova is “a very energetic supernova.” So in the canon of Ardbeg releases, the name makes sense.

It’s bottled at an un-chill-filtered 51% and retails for £185. Interestingly, the malt was smoked with non-Islay peat. This was done for purely logistical reasons – the maltsters on Islay couldn’t achieve the numbers required and shipping Islay peat to a maltster on the mainland would have led to a dramatically increased carbon footprint, so mainland peat was used instead. Strange logic, considering that the Octomore has crossed the 300 ppm barrier, but sound to its owners.

EYE: Pale gold.

NOSE: Powerful, pungent and almost brutal in its intensity, waves of tar, smoke, sea salt and brine in an almost ‘barnyard’ aroma fill the void. Smoky – yes but perhaps not as in-your-face as you might expect. Ethereal whispers of fruit, reminiscent of flowering blackcurrants. Seaweed. Seashells. Tobacco ash and cigar smoke. Stoor burning on old radiators. Beyond the smoke, there’s also liquorice, pepper, a touch of citrus and grass. Even a wee touch of menthol. Water releases a flurry of more rounded top notes, with a touch of lavender and a slightly chocolaty sensation, before finally arriving at curious hints of plasticine and burnt rubber.

PALATE: An explosive, peppery mouthfeel launches the palate into a most bizarre juxtaposition of flavours. The smoke is more to the fore. It’s there from the first sip but it smoulders and glows menacingly rather than blazes out of control. Charcoal. Sea salt and black pepper. Brine – like breathing in a damp, sandy beach in winter. There’s also some creamy malt under all the smoke and some fresh lemon citrus with a wee touch of young oak. The smoke builds in intensity over time.

FINISH: Descend into a finish that collapses in on itself with enormous, heavy smoke, before returning to earthy notes of roasted coffee and smoked heather.

OVERALL: This new Ardbeg is not for the faint-hearted and is a big and bold whisky. This is only to be expected from the pre-release hype and for something pitched as the distillery's peatiest and smokiest release ever. It is certainly the most intense Ardbeg that one can remember sampling. But is it any good? In a word - yes.

Hypernova shows Ardbeg in a slightly different light and hopefully, the brand will release something like this to a wider audience in the future. It shows that you can have super powerful peat smoke but in an interesting and balanced way, and is a definite step up from the regular bottlings.

Given the marketing of the whisky, you almost expect it to blow you away but in fact, it develops over time. At first, it seems only a wee bit smokier than standard Ardbeg expressions but with each subsequent sip, it grows. By the time you’ve reached the end of the glass, you’ll be wondering if you’ll ever taste anything but smoke, for the rest of your days. Maybe I could accuse the whisky of lacking complexity? There certainly isn’t a great deal of cask interaction. Indeed, the whisky feels young but I’d argue that’s kind of the point. What do people want from the Smokiest Ardbeg Ever, if not lots of smoke? Personally, I’m really enjoying it – perhaps a little too much. Given the price, I’d prefer to savour my bottle for a long time, if I can.

PRICE: It would be ridiculous to try to claim that it offers value for money. Sure, the production costs are higher than normal but £185 will never not be a lot of money for a young single malt. That said, I knew what I was getting into, so no complaints from me. I tasted it first and still wanted a bottle. Will obviously not be for everyone at the price, however. Good luck.