Ardbeg Distillery...
On the Island of Islay, there's no rush. So
why not sit back awhile, wherever you are in the world, and
enjoy your visit to the home of Ardbeg, the Ultimate Single
Islay Malt Scotch Whisky.
It is, perhaps, the most peaty malt whisky in
the world - certainly of all the Islay malts. Not to mention
beautifully balanced, complex and deep. It's unthinkable now,
but in 1981 production ceased and the distillery was mothballed.
Happily in 1997, this beautiful malt began to
flow again and enjoys enduring protection from all things bad by
a loyal band in the shape of
The Ardbeg
Committee - a worldwide family of Ardbeg aficionados in 90
countries who work tirelessly to drink more Ardbeg and bring
others into this esteemed fold.
If you love Ardbeg, you too can help us keep
the doors open by becoming a member... you'll enjoy some rather
nice privileges too.
|
Ardbeg 10
Year Old |
|
Bottled by |
Distiller |
ABV |
46% |
|
Size |
70cl |
Price |
£23.50 |
|
Region |
Islay |
Bin No |
MOET-250 |
|
Ardbeg Ten Years Old is
a very special bottling for the Ardbeg distillery as it is the first
non-chill filtered whisky in the Ardbeg range. Chill filtering isn`t
a bad thing, in fact it created real consistency of product when the
whisky industry was a little more `hap-hazard` than it is today.
Ardbeg Ten Years Old is whisky with none of the goodness taken out
and as good as straight from the cask.
Nose: Exceptional
balance and depth. At full strength the aroma is a beguiling mix of
toffee and chocolate sweetness, cinnamon spice and medicinal
phenols. Fresh citrus and floral notes of white wine are evident as
are melon, pear drops, general creaminess, fresh phenolic aroma of
sea spray (iodine) and smoked fish. Hickory and coffee emerge later
as the most volatile notes fade.
Taste: An initial
moderate and clean sweetness is rapidly followed by a mouthful of
deep peat notes, with tobacco smoke and strong espresso coffee,
which then gives way to treacle sweetness and liquorice. The mouth
feel is firstly lightly spiced (astringent) then chewing,
mouthwatering, full and finally dry.
Finish: Long and
smoky. A smoky sweetness is left on the palate, with a crushed peat
and sweet malted cereal character.
97 Points:
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible |
|
Uigeadail |
|
Bottled by |
Distiller |
ABV |
54.2% |
|
Size |
70cl |
Price |
£36.75 |
|
Region |
Islay |
Bin No |
MOET-252 |
|
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.
Ardbeg Uigeadail is non
chill-filtered at traditional strength which retains maximum flavour
and gives more body and added depth. On adding water a little
cloudiness may occur which is perfectly natural.
Nose: The
undiluted nose is deep and rounded – chocolate caramels and barley
sugar combine with dates, raisins and smooth sherry notes. Later,
you find leather and linseed oil. With water, the sweetness gives
way to malted honeycomb, with flowering currants emerging through
the smoky sweetness of a well-fired fruit pudding.
Taste: Sweet,
chewy and oily with a silky mouth feel. The flavour is initially
sweet, revealing fruit cake and treacle. This is followed by smoked,
barbecued or honey-roast food with the slightest hint of olives.
Finish: Again
long, both sweet and dry with honey, treacle and a trace of lint.
89 Points:
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible |
|
Airigh Nam
Beist |
|
Bottled by |
Distiller |
ABV |
54.2% |
|
Size |
70cl |
Price |
£41.85 |
|
Region |
Islay |
Bin No |
MOET-253 |
|
There is a dark place on
Islay, high above the Ardbeg Distillery, called Airigh Nam Beist
(pronounced `arry-nam-bayst`) which in Gaelic means "shelter of the
beast". No more fitting name could have been bestowed on such an
eerie place; this is where - legend has it - something otherworldly
lurks, lying in wait.
So what measures can be
taken to protect local and visitor alike? If you find yourself
straying this way, then pray equip yourself with that traditionally
reliable antidote to sheer terror - the stiff drink. A travelling
man could ask for no better protection than a hip flask full of the
strong stuff, namely Ardbeg`s Airigh Nam Beist. For it`s truly a wee
beastie of a dram - waiting to be released!
Nose: The initial
aroma is of vanilla ice cream and sea spray with hints of peat smoke
and fudge sauce followed by fennel, pine nuts, zesty limes, geranium
and lavender. With water, ripe summer fruits are released which
mingle with the sweetness to give hints of rum and raisin chocolate,
enveloped by soft heather and peat smoke.
Taste: Definitely
Ardbeg on the taster with peat oil and seaweed bonfire smokiness.
Crisp smoky bacon, maple syrup and antiseptic lozenges leave a
peppery and oily feel on the palate. Sweet and fruity flavours of
ripe autumn fruits and chocolate limes emerge as notes of black
coffee, liquorice and reminders of Parma violets linger in the
background.
Finish: Long on
the finish with crushed dried peat and creamy notes.
95 Points:
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible |
|
Renaissance |
|
Bottled by |
Distiller |
ABV |
55.9% |
|
Size |
70cl |
Price |
£41.50 |
|
Region |
Islay |
Bin No |
MOET-257 |
|
They say Rome wasn’t
built in a day, and if the production of the world’s best whisky
(i.e. Ardbeg) is anything to go by, we are inclined to believe the
rumours. Over the last four years they have been patiently treading
the path to peaty maturity where they have, at last, arrived. Their
young Ardbeg has come of age and they have named it Ardbeg
Renaissance.
This is an historic
moment indeed, as it marks the point from which all Ardbeg 10 Years
Old will be bottled using only distillate produced since their
Renaissance in 1997. Therefore, this Ardbeg, the eldest in the
family, is released in tribute to all
Committee
Members who have shown their unwavering support for Ardbeg over the
last decade, and we humbly suggest that celebrating with a dram of
Ardbeg Renaissance (55.9% ABV) would not be considered
inappropriate.
In a manner certain to
tingle
Committee tastebuds, Chief Noser Rachel
Barrie describes Renaissance as a “crackle of peat setting off a
chain reaction of flavour explosions… the taste goes on and on
leaving a smoky jet stream of simmering peat oils, wispy vanilla
cream and chewy liquorice whirls.” |
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