Ardbeg

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

It should be no secret to those who follow us at Scotchology that many of us are big Ardbeg fans, and have been since the beginning. We’ve explored nearly every main range offering, from the 10 year to the Uigeadail, along with several of their more limited offerings. The Ardbeg Corryvreckan is named after the famous whirlpool situated north of Islay, which legend says Viking prince Breacan entered as an act of bravery to prove his love for a princess. Legend says he’s now at the bottom of that whirlpool, so we leave it to you to determine his worthiness. In the meantime, this scotch requires you to prove nothing but a willingness to pour and sip.

Ardbeg “Dark Cove”

Ardbeg “Dark Cove”

Taking a page from the illicit beginnings of whisky production in a long ago Scotland, the 2016 Committee Release by Ardbeg is called the Dark Cove. This hearkens back to before the official founding of the distillery in 1815, specifically to a time when excise men from the government found and raided the secret cove from whence the smugglers had long been using as a base of operations. With that illegal arm of whisky distribution disbanded, the site was soon occupied by the McDougall family, who were the founders of Ardbeg. Legend has it John McDougall’s own sons, Alexander and Alan, were arrested for smuggling years before the distillery was born. Ardbeg held many events under the cover of night upon this release, along with aging the spirit in dark sherry casks.

Ardbeg Perpetuum

Ardbeg Perpetuum

2015 was a big year for the Laphroaig and Ardbeg distilleries, who each celebrated their 200th year. Such a landmark was cause for celebration and Ardbeg did not disappoint. Much was made about the whisky they sent into space, yet the Perpetuum is meant to capture the essential expression of the Ardbeg spirit and thus makes a laudatory dram. The text on the box wraps into itself admirably: “…times change but Ardbeg remains which is why no synthetic nose or tastebuds will ever come close to replicating the skills of our whisky creators and no man-made machine will ever be capable of producing man-made whisky because…”