Ardbeg Spectacular
The Ardbeg Committee was founded in 2000, born from a fan club of sorts started in 19999. Ardbeg was officially founded in 1815, though it had been producing whisky there for over almost twenty years there previously. It shuttered in the early 1990s and was purchased by Glenmorangie in 1997 and reopened, with the Ardbeg Committee soon following to foster love of the brand and make sure the distillery never closed again. While the Committee offers communications and solidarity for the affecionados, there has also been yearly whisky releases under the Committee banner. The 2024 Committee offering is the Ardbeg Spectacular, which was matured in a blend of ex-bourbon and ex-port casks. This is different than past releases that made use of cask finishing. The circus connection is unknown.
Oban 15 Year Cask Strength
Oban was founded in 1794 by John and Hugh Stevenson on the west coast of Scotland, across from the isle of Tobermorey. It is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland, having only two pot stills and a distilling capacity under 700,000 liters a year. Because of distillery’s location in the town of Oban, the only avenue for expansion in recent years was discovered to contain remains of archaelogical significance and thus Oban was prevented from continuing. Due to the distillery’s limited production, the core range is not large, mostly comprising their standard 14 Year, Little Bay and Distillers Edition. This 15 Year Cask Strength is a US-exclusive release matured for over ten years and finished for four years in both ex-Oloroso and ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks from Andalusia, Spain.
Teeling Bordeaux Red Wine Cask
Teeling Distillery was founded in 2015 and was the first new distillery to open in Dublin in 125 years. It was founded by Stephen and Jack Teeling, sons of the legendary John Teeling, all ancestors of the Walter Teeling who operated a distillery in Dublin in the late 18th Century. This Teeling Bordeaux Red Wine Cask is one such pick, a single malt entirely matured in the ex-wine casks rather than the more traditional finish, and bottled at cask strength.