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Ardbeg 8 years

fruity malty
4.3
(2)€519Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

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Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

The Côte-Rôtie vineyards lie in France's Northern Rhône Valley. They produce some of the world's most concentrated Syrah wines. Ardbeg filled one of those barrels on 22nd August 2011 and left it to work its magic. The wine had been there first. Its dark fruit and floral grip didn't vanish. Instead they wrapped around the distillery's signature peat smoke, creating something richer than either alone. Apricot, dried fruit, and vanilla float on the surface. Below that: the medicinal, smoky character Ardbeg is known for. The finish is long, malty, and salt-edged. Drink it neat.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Ardbeg

Ardbeg distillery is located on the southern coast of the Isle of Islay, Scotland. It was founded in 1815 and has been producing some of the world's most highly regarded Islay single malt whiskies ever since. Ardbeg uses traditional malted barley, Scottish water, and peat to produce its signature smoky and peaty flavors. The distillery uses malted barley that is heavily peated to around 55 parts per million (ppm) phenols, which gives its whiskies a distinct and powerful flavor. Interesting fact: In 2011, Ardbeg sent vials of its whisky to the International Space Station to study the effects of microgravity

4.2Average rating

136Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Ardbeg 8 years

Ardbeg 8 years is a single malt Scotch whisky from Islay. Scotland, matured in a first-fill Côte-Rôtie wine barrique. The barrel came from France's Northern Rhône Valley. Syrah grapes there produce some of the world's most concentrated red wines. The wine's fruity character lingers in the grain of the wood. Ardbeg's peat smoke finds it there and the two build on each other throughout the spirit. Ardbeg stands on Islay's southern shore, where Atlantic winds shape the character of the spirit. The distillery has produced heavily peated single malt for well over a century. That tradition has earned it a following across the whisky world. Ardbeg closed through much of the 1980s and reopened in 1996 under new ownership. The closure makes older-style expressions particularly valued by collectors and enthusiasts. The spirit is full-bodied and malty, with a soft oiliness that builds from the first sip. Smoky and medicinal notes form the backbone, as they always do with this distillery. Vanilla, caramel, and honey come through from the oak and from the wine that lived there first. Apricot and dried fruit arrive mid-palate, alongside a bright thread of citrus. The long finish carries salt and a trace of espresso. This bottling was filled on 22nd August 2011. It went directly into a Côte-Rôtie barrique from the Rhône. The wine inside had already shaped the wood before the spirit arrived. Eight years of contact drew out a floral, fruity complexity on top of the classic Ardbeg character. It was released exclusively for Ardbeg embassies around the world. Ardbeg 8 years drinks best neat, without distraction. Pour it and give it a few minutes to open up. This whisky suits anyone who loves the foundational Islay peat character. Wine casks reveal a new side of Ardbeg without softening what makes it special.