The 2018 Ardbeg Day limited-edition bottling includes a proportion of spirit matured in red wine casks which have been heavily charred, leaving deep grooves in the surface of the oak. Fragrant soft smoke, warm leather, and salty red berries on the nose; background charcuterie. The palate offers red berry fruits, vanilla, dense peat smoke, brine, and asphalt. Beach bonfires and black pepper in the sweet finish.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2018)

The follow-up to last year’s Ardbeg Day, here’s the cult distillery in its funkiest guise with a nose that’s reminiscent (I’d imagine) of a frontier trading post: all pitch, furs, and gun oil. Some mint hangs around in the background alongside eucalyptus. This is an earthy, in-your-face Ardbeg with a hint of box-fresh sneakers indicating some youthfulness. The mouth is thick and chewy: wild mint, oily depths, and the slightly manic energy typical of Ardbeg’s young years. Editor's Choice.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2013)

This is the bigger, spicier, and more complex of the pair (see below). A prickly start leads to heavy peat smoke, pink and Szechuan peppercorns, vanilla, dark chocolate, angelica, then seaweed. The palate is oily, with a detonation of gunpowdery peat, licorice, smoked eel, and a feral edge that adds grunt. Layered and complex.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2016)

Apparently this is the final Supernova release and the Ardbeg team has ensured it goes out with all guns blazing. Although it seems calm initially—there’s a minty and sweet spicy element to the fore—the smoke begins to push through in the guise of creosote, then sootiness which, in turn, mingles with seaweed aromas. The peat dominates the palate but there is sufficient oiliness to round it out and add layers of smoked fish, and dried grasses. Farewell.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2015)

This is the fifth release of Ardbeg’s most heavily peated expression. The bold nose yields ashy peat, fish oil, hot lemon juice, black pepper, asphalt, and antiseptic cream. Oily and voluptuous on the sweet palate, with orchard fruits, honey, seaweed, and lots of moist peat. The finish is lengthy and very smoky, with chile, cinnamon, and barbecued meat.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2020)

This 23 year old expression was released for the Ardbeg Committee. It includes whisky matured in sherry and bourbon casks. Sweet asphalt, bonfire smoke, lemon sponge drizzled in iodine, and background cinnamon on the nose. Succulent, sherried, and chocolate-coated orchard fruits on the oily palate, with vanilla and sweet peat. The peat dries slowly in the finish, with developing licorice, kippers, and peppery oak

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2018)

Pale and slightly flinty to start, with touches of Caol lla-style salt-washed rocks, but here there’s sweetness, while the smoke gives it a mezcal-like air; pears and burning wood (hot brake pads), minerality, then green olive and a light medicinal note. With water, sashimi-style cleanliness. The palate is rounded, with real olive oil, peppery sweetness, soot, and white chocolate. A real ‘palate whisky,’ filled with bare-faced bravado.  A great Ardbeg.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2014)

Very dynamic, complex, and powerful. Here’s what I’m picking up, in somewhat descending order in taste profile: leafy smoke, coal tar, mocha fudge with dark chocolate chips, smoked olive, peppered seaweed salad, fruit (lemon, lime), genever, brine-tinged grass, and (with some coaxing) floral notes (violet?). Compared to last year’s debut release of Supernova, this one is certainly comparable, but I feel it’s a tad richer, with more leafy smoke and ripe barley. It also seems a bit more polished, less aggressive. I like it a little more than its predecessor (rated 89).

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Fall 2010)

“Ardbeg in Perpetuum” would mean “Ardbeg forever.” It’s made up of a mélange of different casks: American oak, refill, French oak…and others. Intense, marine, with pineapple, wet moss, tar, cracked black pepper, and a nuttiness. The palate is oily, sweet, with smoked cream, balanced by a very pure acidity, then soot and char. Will the fact that it isn’t an extreme Ardbeg satisfy everyone? Probably not. Is it a bloody good session drink? Damn right it is. (200^th anniversary bottling)

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Summer 2015)

Pale white wine color. Smoky, youthful aroma. There’s no surprises here-it definitely smells like a young Ardbeg. Big beautiful explosion of smoky, tarry flavors that evolve and seem to linger on the palate indefinitely. This is the first Ardbeg release I've tasted since the distillery's long shut down in the 1980s. After the shut down, they discontinued their floor maltings, so I was concerned that it might not taste like the Ardbeg of old. Ardbeg fans can let out a big sigh of relief. This one is big and gutsy-just the way we like it. My only criticism of this particular release is that it could have used about one or two more years in oak to tame some of the spirity nature of the whisky. Otherwise, this is wonderful stuff!

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2000)

Distilled in the spring of 1996, this was matured in bourbon barrels and yields a nose of exotic spices, heather in bloom, soft aromatic peat, and grapefruit sprinkled with iodine. Well-mannered peat, brine, orange peel, vanilla, and black pepper on the palate. The finish is long, smoky, and peppery.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Spring 2019)

Deep gold color. Very bold aroma of toffee, dark chocolate, diesel fuel-soaked soil, smoldering campfire, coal tar, clove, leather, fig, and dark berried fruit. More of the same on the palate, with seaweed, smoked haddock, and cough drops emerging towards the finish. This whisky is very dynamic and exciting to drink. My only criticism: it comes across a little green on the finish, which keeps me from scoring it in the 90s. Still, it’s pretty impressive considering how young some of the whiskies in it are. If you like your Islay whiskies young and brooding, this one’s for you.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2010)

Distilled at a time when the future of the distillery looked bleak. It is non-chill filtered and mildly herbal on the nose, with soft peat, muted iodine, and a sprinkling of pepper, plus warm leather. The palate is initially peppery, then vanilla and green apples emerge, along with aniseed and rich peat. Peppery to the end, with a hint of iodine and coal smoke.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2016)

Not an unpeated Ardbeg, but a new initiative to raise money for the Kildalton Project which supports community projects in south Islay. Smoke, but also real sweetness: hothouse peaches, mezcal, smoked oyster, sphagnum moss, a huge hit of vetiver, and coal tar. The smoke flies to the throat before fogging forward, while the sweet core (with added raspberry and cream, and mint) moves to the back. A worthwhile dram and a hugely worthwhile cause. Buy for either reason; or both. £120

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Winter 2014)

This Ardbeg Day 2019 bottling was aged in bourbon barrels before a period of finishing in rum casks. Characteristic Ardbeg citrus and smoke on the nose, but with the addition of green figs, eucalyptus, antiseptic, and brine. Very smooth on the palate, with woodsmoke, mango, and papaya. Big peat and black pepper notes in the finish, underscored by tangy citrus. Ultimately, ashy smoke.

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Summer 2019)

If I had to back one of the protagonists in Douglas Laing’s latest Duel of the Phial, my money would be squarely on the Ardbeg. The nose delights with oils oozing from the chestnut flesh of a grilled kipper, coiled rope on a trawler’s deck, and hot pressed asphalt, with a gentle background note of roasted peanut and millionaire’s shortbread. Medium texture: lemon and butterscotch, delicious fruitiness, and spearmint on the mid-palate. Clean, creamy with a baked lemon finish. £49

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2014)

Identifiably richer, fuller, and smokier on the nose when compared to other young Ardbegs. While still prominent, there’s slightly less brine and seaweed, more earthiness, tar, soot, espresso, tobacco, grass, and chocolate fudge. The same goes for the palate. It starts out like a “slightly more gutsy than normal” cask strength, young Ardbeg (e.g., Renaissance) and, if you go into this experience expecting to be totally blown away by peat, tar, and smoke, you might feel a bit under-challenged initially. But the peat eventually builds to a powerful, lava-like crescendo and you realize that this is no ordinary Ardbeg. The length of the finish is seemingly endless; bold and warming. Through all this, there’s a soft underbelly of ripe barley and a vanilla sweetness to balance at least some of the tar, heat, and smoke -- something I admire in many Ardbegs. Bottom line: It’s an interesting, entertaining, and eye-opening experience. I like how mature it tastes for a relatively young whisky. But, like a whisky that shows just a bit too much sherry or oak, I think the extra peat, to a degree, masks the subtle complexities I admire in some other, lesser-peated Ardbegs, which is the only thing keeping me from scoring this whisky in the 90s. All smoky whisky enthusiasts should endeavor to try this at least once.

Reviewed by: John Hansell (Summer 2009)

Let it be known that from now on, June 2nd will be Ardbeg Day. That’s fine by me, as annually we can enjoy delights such as this bold expression that belts you in the nose with coal tar and soot before bay rum emerges, lightening slightly into lime and hot green bracken. The palate is oily, sweet, and very deep. A growly bugger that lurches toward the shore and then spins back to the laurel bushes inland. 13,000 bottles.

Reviewed by: Dave Broom (Fall 2012)