Each year the Islay distillery of Ardbeg releases an annual Fèis Ìle bottling for Ardbeg Day – this day at the beginning of June marks the end of the festival on the famous whisky island of Islay. Ardbeg Spectacular represents the first single malt from the distillery to feature maturation in ex-Port casks. It is a marriage of traditional ex-bourbon cask Ardbeg and spirit matured fully in ex-Port barrels and has been created by Gillian Macdonald, the Master Blender for Ardbeg. Ardbeg Spectacular is released at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour.
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. The distillery has an annual production of just 2.4 million litres per year and boasts an award-winning visitor centre.
“Ardbeg Spectacular is a high-flying spirit, very befitting of Ardbeg Day. Its years in bourbon and port casks create a spectacle of flavours, the like of which Ardbeggians will never have tasted before.”
Gillian Macdonald.
Ardbeg Spectacular is available worldwide, plus from the Ardbeg visitor centre and brand website www.ardbeg.com. When writing this post, bottles remained available with several retailers. The exact number of bottles in this limited edition has not been revealed, but each will cost £110/ US$135.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is deep gold and the nose is vibrant, smoky and sweet. Aromas of medicinal peat smoke and coal tar soap mingle with heather honey, bittersweet maltiness and milk chocolate. There are also further aromas of dried fruit and vanilla fudge, plus hints of smoked fish and a good pinch of white pepper. The combination is heady and inviting.
On the palate this whisky is bold and big. The medicinal peat smoke and white pepper notes from the nose hit first – think of ashy bonfire embers, drying seaweed and fresh tar combined with hints of smoked fish and a mechanics oily rag. An interesting note of liquorice develops out of this with time, as does a hint of menthol or something minty.
Some much needed sweetness sits in the background and becomes more influential with time – imagine floral heather honey, vanilla custard and some golden syrup. Later notes of caramelised pear, dried fruit (especially plump sugary sultana, plus some cranberry), baked apple and cocoa powder also come through nicely. Some bittersweet malty cereals appear at the end.
The finish is long. Very long actually. The peat smoke wraps around everything and never loosens its grip. This drags out the length of the finish, especially once the sweeter and fruitier elements have started to fade. This gives an ashy dryness and a distinct peppery warmth.
What’s The Verdict?
This is a very enjoyable whisky from Ardbeg. The use of the ex-Port casks has added a lovely depth and complexity to the flavour profile and it works very well with the high level of peat smoke on show. The way this smoke brings everything together is great and the extra sweetness elevates the whisky well. This is definitely one of the better Ardbeg Day bottlings of recent times.
