Ardbeg have released a limited edition bottling to celebrate 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee named Ardbeg Eureka!. The Ardbeg Committee was created to encourage fans of Ardbeg to ‘debate, discuss and disagree’ about all things related to Ardbeg.
The Committee was formed after Ardbeg was saved from closure; its mission was to prevent the doors of the Islay distillery from ever closing again. In reality it now means that this select group of people, which now totals over 200,000, gets access to exclusive bottles created just for them.
This whisky was conceived to capture the many taste preferences of the Committee’s thousands of members in a single dram. On Ardbeg Day 2023, 100 members from 15 different countries were asked to take part in an experiment named Operation Smokescreen to taste and discuss five extreme (and secret) examples of Ardbeg.
Then Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation, and Master Blender Gillian Macdonald assembled the results to create this whisky representing the Committee member’s preferences. The result… a whisky aged in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks combined with roasted malt spirit matured in bourbon casks.
Operation Smokescreen was a brilliant opportunity to get inside the minds of the Ardbeg Committee – and has inspired our most bespoke Committee bottling yet. Ardbeg Eureka! is packed with a variety of flavours, inspired by our eclectic group of Committee members’ tastes, who are united by their love of Ardbeg’s smoky and fruity balance. There was a real eureka moment when, after countless experiments, Dr Bill and I landed upon the perfect recipe.
Gillian Macdonald, Master Blender at Ardbeg
The Ardbeg distillery is located on the southern coast of the Hebridean island of Islay. It was founded in 1815 by John MacDougall, although records have distillation taking place on the site as far back as 1794. The recent history shows numerous changes of ownership from the 1950s right through to a fallow period in the 1980s and 90s, until The Glenmorangie Company (now Moet Hennessy) took over in 1997. This signalled the rebirth of Ardbeg and a significant upturn in fortunes, including the founding of the Ardbeg Committee in 2000. The distillery has an annual production of just 2.4 million litres per year.
Ardbeg Eureka! is bottled at 52.2% and is available exclusively to Committee members on Ardbeg.com from February 27, 2025 for £72. A small numbers of bottles will also be available direct from the distillery. To play a part in the distillery’s future and keep up to date with all things Ardbeg, smoky malt whisky fans can join the Ardbeg Committee at ardbeg.com/en-gb/committee.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep gold and the nose is smoky, malty and powerful. Bright and uplifting fruity aromas are upfront – think of ripe tropical fruit and fig jam – and battle with the intense peat smoke. There is a barbeque savoury feel – imagine chargrilled pineapple, peach and red capsicum, with a distinct sweet and sour vibe. Something green and mossy sits underneath, as does a hint of menthol and eucalyptus.
On the palate this whisky is immediate ashy, richly smoked and savoury. It lights up your mouth and is big, bold and vibrant. Milk chocolate, heather honey and toffee-like notes drive the sweetness, but start to evolve to be more reminiscent of Chinese sweet and sour sauce with time. A lovely caramel characteristics also develops. Further notes of burnt malty biscuits and damp earthy moss give a distinct umami quality.
The intense peat smoke is never far away – it burns away and wraps itself around everything with its drying and ashy ember-like feel. Hints of tropical fruit, dried apple, plus raisins and prunes add further depth and complexity. A final splash of iodine gives an acrid and medicinal edge, while a hint of salinity brings vibrancy and interest.
The finish is super peppery and drying. The ashy charcoal element accentuates this, as does an interesting background suggestion of brine. The long lasting sweetness slowly fades, to reveal something mineralic very late on – this feels slightly flinty or chalky. The intense smokiness lingers for ages.
What’s The Verdict?
Ardbeg have produced a cracker for their members to celebrate 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee. It is undeniably Ardbeg, especially on the palate and is richly smoked, powerful and forceful. It feels almost like a return to Ardbeg’s of old, and is released at a good price also.
This should be a ‘eureka moment’ for the brand and surely shows them the way forward for Committee releases in the future in terms of both style and pricing. Sign up to the Committee, if you have not already, and grab your bottle before it sells out and is consigned to history.
