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Ardbeg Kelpie

peaty malty
4.2
(6)€275Scotland, Islay, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

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Warm
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Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Ardbeg Kelpie takes its name from the shape-shifting water spirit of Scottish folklore. A creature said to haunt lochs and the sea. The bottling carries that wildness into the glass. Part of the spirit matured in virgin oak sourced from the Adyghe Republic, on the Black Sea coast. That unusual wood gives the malt a deep, dark edge. You find smoke and brine first, then dark chocolate and a squeeze of lemon. There is iodine too, the kind that hints at salt spray and old fishing nets. Dr Bill Lumsden built it for Ardbeg Day in 2017. Pour it neat and let it unfold slowly.

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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 Kelpie

Ardbeg Kelpie is a single malt Scotch whisky from Islay, the small island off the west coast of Scotland. The Ardbeg distillery has made heavily peated spirit on Islay since 1815. This release was first poured for Ardbeg Day in 2017. The name comes from the kelpie, a shape-shifting spirit from old Scottish stories. It fits the whisky well. Part of the spirit matured in virgin oak casks from the Adyghe Republic, near the Black Sea. That dark, untested wood gives Ardbeg Kelpie a brooding, mineral depth you rarely meet elsewhere. The Ardbeg distillery sits on the rocky southern shore of Islay. Its two pot stills run slowly, and the local peat carries a thick, tarry smoke. Dr Bill Lumsden, the master distiller, married the Black Sea oak spirit with classic ex-bourbon Ardbeg. The result is layered yet still unmistakably Ardbeg. The flavour opens with brine and iodine, that salt-spray character so typical of the island. Then come waves of ash and dark chocolate, with a bright twist of lemon cutting through. A little coconut from the oak softens the edges. Charred oak and a savoury, mineral note run underneath. The finish is long, smoky, and deeply satisfying. This single malt Scotch whisky rewards patience. Sip it neat and give it time in the glass. The smoke settles, the fruit lifts, and the salt lingers. This is a powerful, smoky dram for confident palates. Ardbeg Kelpie suits anyone who loves big, peaty Islay character with a story behind it.