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24th April 2025 |
Ardbeg
has unveiled the special
limited edition release that will mark
Ardbeg Day 2025—Ardbeg Smokiverse, which
was created using a high gravity mash
that they say intensified flavour-active
acetate esters, giving rise to a
fruit-forward, tropical spirit unlike
anything seen before.
 Ardbeg Day is the ultimate global toast
to all things Ardbeg, celebrated every
year on the final Saturday of Islay’s
iconic Festival of Music and Malt, Fèis
Ìle. This year’s celebration on
Saturday, May 31st, marks the 25th
anniversary of the Ardbeg Committee—and
it's going to be otherworldly.
From the Distillery to Ardbeg gatherings
around the world, whisky lovers will be
launched into an exciting new realm of
flavour with the Ardbeg Day 2025
bottling—Ardbeg Smokiverse. This special
release is the first from Ardbeg to be
made using a high-gravity mash—a bold
technique that delivers a whisky
bursting with vibrant tropical
character.
The journey to Smokiverse began years
ago when Ardbeg’s Whisky Creation Team
started pushing the boundaries of
traditional mashing. By using less water
in the mash tun, they crafted a
"high-gravity" (denser) mash that
intensified flavour-active acetate
esters, giving rise to a fruit-forward,
tropical spirit unlike anything seen
before.
Matured in bourbon casks, this limited
edition is said to reveal deep layers of
muscovado sugar, ripe barley, and
toasted sourdough, before erupting in
waves of lush tropical fruits and sweet,
smoky peat. It's Ardbeg—but not as you
know it.
Dr Bill Lumsden MBE, Ardbeg's Director
of Whisky Creation, said: "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 flavour.
By ramping up the density of our wort to
new heights, we’ve drawn in fruitier,
sweeter flavours from the deepest
corners of the mash tun. Upon first sip,
you can expect a vibrant burst of
fruity, ester notes, rather like smoked
bubblegum, along with aromas of barley.
Then peaty notes collide with juicy,
tropical fruits, before sinking into a
rich depth of muscovado sugar."
Taking inspiration from the bold
high-gravity mash, the Distillery is set
to launch a space-themed extravaganza
this Ardbeg Day. Committee Members and
their fellow smoky malt fans will be
transported to the Smokiverse—a galactic
playground brimming with cosmic games,
interstellar cocktails, whisky tastings,
and smoky bites. It's an
out-of-this-world celebration where
gravity is high and spirits are even
higher.
Jackie Thomson, Ardbeg Distillery
Visitor Centre Manager and Ardbeg
Committee Chair, said: "We’re inviting
whisky fans from all corners of the
world to join us – both at the
Distillery, the beating heart of the
Smokiverse, and beyond – to celebrate
Ardbeg Day. We’re thrilled to share this
whisky with smoky-malt lovers everywhere
and send their tastebuds into overdrive
with the release of this extraordinary
new expression."
Ardbeg Smokiverse has been bottled at
48.3% ABV and has a RRP of £93, it will
be available to buy from Ardbeg.com and
Ardbeg embassies from 28th – 30th May,
and will then be available from 31st May
from specialist online whisky
shops such as
The Whisky Exchange
and
Master of Malt
|
Ardbeg Smokiverse Review
|
Bottled at 48.3% ABV.
Producer's
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A
burst of fruity, ester notes, almost
like smoked bubblegum, along with a
beautiful aroma of ripening barley and
toasted sourdough bread. With water,
more of the smoke notes appear, but in
this instance the peat smoke is very
sweet and aromatic, almost reminiscent
of juicy tropical fruits which have been
gently smoked.
Taste: A
rich, creamy texture is followed by some
sharp sooty and spicy notes, like tar,
creosote, aniseed and clove, but these
are tempered with a distinctive
sweetness, like muscovado sugar. There
are some structured, woody notes, like
sweet oak and leather.
Finish: Some
earthy peat moss, bonfire embers and
charcoal.
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