New Limited Edition Bottling

So new it hurts, Ardbeg reveal their new release!

Ardbeg – four-time winner of the World’s Best Scotch Whisky award – will launch its latest Limited Edition, Auriverdes, on Ardbeg Day; the distillery’s annual global celebration of all things Ardbeg.  The 2014 Limited Edition, to be released on the 31^st May, has been matured in American oak casks with specially toasted cask lids which were tailor-made for this whisky. 

The toasting technique has given the whisky a distinctive flavour profile with the lids producing a mocha coffee flavour at one end, flowing into creamy vanilla at the other – truly a dram of two halves!

The name of Ardbeg Auriverdes derives from the colour of the golden whisky (auri) in Ardbeg’s iconic green bottle (verde). Auriverdes is also the nickname of the national football team of Brazil, hosts of this summer’s World Cup, and inspiration behind Ardbeg’s Peat Football tournament which will be happening all around the world on Ardbeg Day, culminating in the Ardbeg Swamp Football World Cup on June 28^th and 29^th in Argyll, Scotland.

Ardbeg Auriverdes follows the highly-acclaimed Limited Edition Galileo, which scooped the title of ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whisky Awards 2013. The 2014 Limited Edition Ardbeg is bottled at 49.9% ABV and will be available from www.ardbeg.com

Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Distillation and Whisky Creation, explains: “When creating Auriverdes I had a distinct flavour profile in mind that I wanted to achieve, so I specifically created the heart of the recipe to bring that to life. It is an expression of Ardbeg which has exceeded all my expectations – it has the trademark Ardbeg undertones with a distinct new taste experience. Ardbeg Auriverdes has an explosive mouthfeel which gives way to complex flavours of coffee grounds, liquorice, maple smoked ham, malty/biscuit notes, white pepper and a good sweet/salty balance.”

The release celebrates the Islay Festival (the Feis Ile) – of which Ardbeg Day marks the culmination – running from 23rd to 31st May 2014. For those whisky enthusiasts unable to make the journey to Islay, local Ardbeg Day events and membership of the Committee provides a means to celebrate Auriverdes in their own country. The Ardbeg Committee currently has 100,000 members: www.ardbeg.com

Ardbeg Auriverdes is non chill-filtered for extra texture and mouth feel.

Official Ardbeg Auriverdes Tasting Notes

Aroma:             Tarry and herbal notes with hints of mocha

Taste:               Coffee grounds pass to smoked root vegetables,                                    while maple-cured bacon collides with hot-smoked                              salmon

Finish:               A lingering, smoky vanilla note

About Ardbeg

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ‘Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky’. Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.

Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction. Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following. The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded by the formation of ‘The Committee’ in 2000 from thousands of Ardbeg followers across the globe keen to ensure, “the doors of Ardbeg never close again.”

Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ three years in a row by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and was awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’, ‘Best Islay Single Malt’ and the ‘Global Icon Visitor Centre Manager of the Year’ at the World Whisky Awards 2013.

Ardbeg Day

Ardbeg Day will be celebrated at the distillery on Saturday 31 May 2014 and at participating Ardbeg Embassies around the world.

Ardbeg Embassies

Ardbeg Embassies are a network of Ardbeg customers who love Ardbeg and have agreed to profile Ardbeg to their consumers; most are independent premium whisky stores.

More details can be found at www.ardbeg.com, where fans can also sign up to join the Ardbeg Committee.

UPDATE:  Find our tasting notes and thoughts on Auriverdes here!