The
tiny Scottish island of Islay is home to about 3000 people, yet is home to ten
working distilleries making some of the peatiest whiskies in the world. They
are Ardnahoe, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Port
Ellen, which only reopened a year ago after
41 years.
The
tenth is Ardbeg, situated on Islay’s southern coast and founded in
1815 by John Macdougal. In 1838, he sold it to Thomas Buchanan;
however, John’s son, Alexander, continued to run operations. Alexander died in
1853, and his sisters, Margaret and Flora, assumed control, along with Colin Hay.
Margaret and Flora are one of the earliest female Scotch distillers on record;
the first was Helen
Cumming, who founded Cardhu
in 1824.
Ownership
returned to the Macdougals when, in 1922, Alexander Macdougal & Co.
purchased Ardbeg in its entirety. Then, in 1977, Hiram Walker acquired it only to
shutter the distillery in 1981 due to minuscule demand. Its closure severely
impacted the local economy, as while it only employed 18 people, the town
relied heavily on the distillery.
In
1987, Hiram Walker was sold to Allied
Lyons, and in 1989, the distillery rose from
the ashes, only to be mothballed again two years later. In 1997, The Glenmorangie Company purchased Ardbeg, its current owner.
There
is a thing called the Ardbeg
Committee, which is the official fan club of the
distillery, and it turns 25 years old this month. It is a 200,000-member strong
club; its mission is to ensure that Ardbeg is never mothballed again.
“Held annually on the final Saturday of The Islay Festival (Fèis Ìle), Ardbeg Day is a global celebration of all things Ardbeg. Celebrated on Islay and around the world, Ardbeg Day has become one of the biggest events in the whisky calendar.” – Ardbeg
For
2025, Ardbeg Day happens on May 31st. And, for this 25th anniversary
of the Ardbeg Committee, the distillery will unveil its newest whisky: Smokiverse.
“The first whisky we have ever made with a high-gravity mash, Ardbeg Smokiverse takes our single malt’s classic peaty character to a new frontier of flavor. By ramping up the density of our wort to new heights, we’ve drawn in fruitier, sweeter flavors from the deepest corners of the mash tun.” - Dr Bill Lumsden MBE, Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation
If
you’re like me, you have no idea what high-gravity mash means. A mash
tun is used to steep the grains in hot water to harvest the sugars, proteins,
and other desired components to make the wort (or unfermented “beer”). A
high-gravity mash uses less water. Since the mash is less diluted, it should
have more pronounced flavors - in theory.
Smokiverse is a single malt Scotch, meaning it is made from 100% malted barley. Since this is Ardbeg, we know it is a heavily-peated Scotch (because that’s all that Ardbeg does). It matured in former Bourbon casks for an undisclosed period. The whisky is non-chill-filtered and naturally colored. Packaged at 48.3% ABV (96.6°), and comes with a recommended retail price of $124.99 and will be available in the United States on May 15th.
So,
how does it taste? This #DrinkCurious opportunity is brought to you by the kind
folks at Ardbeg, who provided me with a sample in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest review.
On
with the show!
Appearance: I
poured Smokiverse into a Glencairn glass to sip neat. The citrus-yellow liquid created
slow, tightly-spaced, pencil-thin tears shedded from the fragile rim.
Nose: From
the moment I opened the sample bottle, the aroma was big, bold, and smoky. I also
smelled lemon peel, lime zest, vanilla, honey, malt, and smoked meats. I
inhaled the vapor through my lips and discovered what seemed like toasted baked
goods.
Palate:
Smokiverse’s texture was dense and creamy, and I could feel the smoke on
my tongue (admittedly, that was a bit weird). The front of my palate
encountered grilled pineapples, baked apples, and agave. My mid-palate found clove,
allspice, and ancient leather. I tasted creosote, charred oak, and smoked brisket
on the back.
Finish: The
smoky notes carried through the entirety, with charred oak and creosote. There
was an earthy quality that slowly transitioned to a mixture of grilled
pineapples and agave. Spicy clove refused to surrender to those sweeter
flavors. It was a combination of sweet, warm, tangy, and arid. I timed the
duration; it clocked in at 1:54, classifying it as long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Feeling
the smoke on my tongue wasn’t the only unusual aspect of Smokiverse; it cleared
my sinuses at the first sip. I can’t recall another whisky doing anything close
to that. Yet, it was well-balanced, and despite the high-gravity mash,
Smokiverse was undeniably Ardbeg; the peat commands your attention without becoming
overpowering.
My experience with Ardbeg
Day releases has been mixed. A select few are unimpressive (think Auriverdes),
and several others, such as Ardbog, blew my mind. Smokiverse was
delicious, fun, captivating… I don’t have enough adjectives to throw at it, so
I’ll slap my Bottle rating down. This one is a winner. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit
but begs you to do so responsibly.
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