(Image Source: Ardbeg)

What you need to know:

•  We have two new Ardbeg releases marked for 2023 - the Ardbeg Anamorphic and the Ardbeg Anthology’s inaugural edition - The Harpy’s Tale.

• The Ardbeg Anamorphic explores experimenting with having cask heads removed to expose more wood during toasting. 

• This appears to have created a heightened Ardbeg expression of "sweet, smoky, herbal and spicy" profile. The new expression, bottled at 48.2% ABV, is probably going to be a Committee Release.

• You can join the Ardbeg Committee for free here, to access special bottlings such as these!

• Next, we have the Ardbeg Anthology - The Harpy's Tale. This 13 year old expression sees Ardbeg employ a Sauternes wine cask finishing for the first time ever! Expect to find an Ardbeg expression that is at once smoky and sweet, with notes of smoked lemon peel, balsamic and fresh apricots and tarry ropes.

• Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Bordeaux region. It is unique as grapes must first be affected with noble rot, which causes the grapes to become partially raisined, creating a concentrated and distinctively flavored, sweet and rich wine.

• From the labels, it appears that the new Ardbeg Anthology, bottled at 46% ABV, seems to be earmarked for a broader release from the distillery rather than a select Committee Release bottling. 

It's only a couple of days to the new year and already Ardbeg is off to the races with two new releases that should surface in 2023 - the Ardbeg Anamorphic and Ardbeg Anthology!

Ardbeg Anamorphic

(Image Source: Ardbeg)

First up we have the Ardbeg Anamorphic, which comes with a unique chevron- shaped label that's slightly more atypical of Ardbeg's usual style - but what the hey, they're a creative bunch!

The Ardbeg Anamorphic expression tells us the Islay giant has been experimenting with having cask heads removed to expose more wood during toasting. This appears to have created a heightened Ardbeg expression of "sweet, smoky, herbal and spicy" profile.

(Image Source: Ardbeg)

“Have we lost our heads?

Yes. We have. Removing the cask heads to expose more wood during toasting, we’ve turned Ardbeg whisky upside down and inside out… Tempering the briny overtones, ramping up hidden chocolatey sweetness and magnifying sensations of mocha.

The result? A multidimensional dram that morphs between four key elements – sweet, smoky, herbal and spicy – all seamlessly merging in a mesmerising taste experience. As enigmas wrapped up in conundrums go, this takes Ardbeg to a whole new level."

That's what we're told from the back label.

We're also guessing that this new expression, bottled at 48.2% ABV, is probably going to be a Committee Release.

Which, speaking of, we've nicely put the link here, for you to join. It's free. Thank us later!

Ardbeg Anthology

(Image Source: Ardbeg)

Now, next up we have the Ardbeg Anthology - The Harpy's Tale. This one's a 13 year old expression that Ardbeg tells us has the Islay peaty whisky matured in Sauternes wine casks, subsequently from the standard ex-Bourbon ageing.

This appears to be the start of a new series with The Harpy's Tale being the inaugural first edition of the Anthology Collection.

An artist's interpretation of a half-human half-winged mythical Harpy.

"A marriage of whisky matured in sweet Sauternes wine casks, together with classic Ardbeg aged in ex-bourbon casks. 

Notes of smoked lemon peel soar alongside balsamic vinegar, before fresh apricots roll and bank into notes of tarry rope. First imagined only as a flight of fantasy, this is a spirit that achieves the ultimate equilibrium between sweetness and smoke.

A rare beast Ardbeg indeed..."

Reads the front label. We can expect to find an Ardbeg expression that is at once smoky and sweet, with notes of smoked lemon peel, balsamic and fresh apricots and tarry ropes.

Official Tasting Notes

Aroma

Very distinctively oily, with touches of extra virgin olive oil, sweet briar wood, aromatic herbs (coriander & sage) and a suggestion of smoked lemon peel. A splash of water releases more oiliness, like linseed oil, a gentle waxiness, and a burst of perfumed, aromatic carbolic soap, and finally, a whiff of crème brulee.

Taste

A soft, oily, mouthcoating texture leads into a rich, sweet, smoky palate, with hints of oak moss, treacle, aniseed lozenges and a lovely, sweet, woody/balsamic flavour. This is then followed by smoked apricots and eucalyptus oil.

Finish

Finally comes a lingering, sweet/smoky aftertaste, with a touch of cumin, cardamon and the merest hint of coconut.

Chateau d'Yquem regularly produces amongst the most sought after wines, specially producing Sauternes. (Image Source: Fine Wines International)

Sauternes is a French sweet wine, often drank as a dessert or digestif, made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes from the Bordeaux region. It is unique in that such grapes must first be affected with a natural agricultural condition known as noble rot, which causes the grapes to become partially raisined, creating a concentrated and distinctively flavored, sweet and rich wine.

As such, it is unique to the region and one of the most well-known and highly sought after wines comes from the Chateau d'Yquem, which regularly produces 100-point scoring Sauternes wines.

(Image Source: Ardbeg)

"A Gripping Yarn

 A first for the Distillery and the first in the Anthology Collection, this spirit is the outcome of a bottle between smoke and sweet. Ardbeg's unmissable character tussles with the richness of the Sauternes casks. Inspired by the seldom-seen Harpy - a winged beast said to inhabit Islay - this bottle is an ode to the rarest and most unbelievable of encounters."

Reads the back label.

From the labels, we gather that this release, bottled at 46% ABV, seems to be earmarked for a broader release from the distillery rather than a select Committee Release bottling. 

Which one are you most excited about? Comment below!

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team