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Ardbeg Ardbog

malty peaty
4.4
(8)€262Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Released for the 2013 Islay festival, this bottling earned cult status fast. The Ardbeg team took peated spirit and parked part of it in Manzanilla sherry casks. That choice mattered. Manzanilla is a lighter, saltier sherry than the rich styles most distilleries reach for. The result pulls coffee and dark chocolate up against thick earthy peat. You taste char and ash, then a swell of dried fruit and espresso bitterness. It drinks big and warm and a little wild. Pour it neat and give it room. Few limited editions have been chased this hard by Islay devotees.

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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

137Whiskies on Distilld

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About the Ardbeg Ardbog

Ardbeg Ardbog is a single malt Scotch whisky from Ardbeg on Islay, the smoky south coast of Scotland. The distillery released this limited bottling for its 2013 festival celebration. It quickly became a collector favourite among peat lovers, and bottles vanished within days. Most of the spirit matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. The clever twist sits at the heart of the vatting. A portion rested in Manzanilla sherry casks, a lighter and saltier style than the usual choice. Ardbeg normally leans on richer sherry, so this was a genuine departure. That savoury, briny edge is the whisky signature trick. The flavours land with real weight and depth. Expect earthy peat, char and a coil of ash up front. Then come coffee, espresso and dark chocolate across the palate. Dried fruit and a hint of cocoa round the rougher edges. Charred oak frames the whole thing without softening its bite. The finish runs long and stays smoky to the end. Ardbeg sits on Islay rugged southern shore near Port Ellen. The distillery dates back to 1815 and nearly closed more than once. Quality fell and the doors shut for stretches in the 1980s and 1990s. Fans and new owners rescued its reputation in the years after. Today it ranks among the most loved peated names in Scotland. Each yearly festival release still draws a devoted crowd of drinkers. Ardbeg Ardbog is best enjoyed neat. Give it time in the glass and let the smoke slowly unfurl. This is a bold, full-bodied single malt Scotch whisky. It suits anyone who wants real power and peat on the palate.