Rich taste, compelling story: inside Ardbeg's extremely rare new whisky
Ardbeg, the distiller behind The Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky, has released The Abyss, a 34-year-old dram that builds on the legacy of an icon
IN 2008, ARDBEG released a 19-year-old limited edition whisky known as the Ardbeg Corryvreckan. Whisky heads may recall it â it made quite a splash at the time. Made especially for its loyal following, the deep, peaty, peppery dram was the stuff of Ardbeggian legend â its complex, swirling aromas saw it named after the powerful Corryvreckan whirlpool, a natural wonder which sits off the west coast of Scotland. At the 2010 World Whiskies Awards, it won the Worldâs Best Single Malt, cementing its place as one of the famed Islay distilleryâs most unique spirits.
Now, 16 years later, Ardbeg has released a new limited edition whisky, which carries on the legacy of the original Corryvreckan while pushing it into a whole new realm of flavour. From the last surviving barrels of that limited 2008 bottling comes Ardbeg The Abyss, a 34-year-old spirit that Ardbegâs Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden describes as âa rare taste of an Ardbeg icon revived, and reimaginedâ.
Rare is the keyword here. Only 400 bottles of The Abyss exist, each of them individually numbered.
Just like its predecessor, The Abyss emanates from a 1989 spirit. First aged in bourbon casks, it was then transported into âultra-activeâ French oak casks for maturation. Patented by Ardbeg, these special casks have undergone a unique rejuvenation process, which enhances their ability to impart flavour and colour â in this case, the hue of The Abyss is best described as deep autumn sunset, which looks just as rich as it tastes.
Speaking of taste, the spirit is described as having a delightfully mellow mouthfeel thatâs complemented by a hint of spiciness, followed by bold flavours of dark chocolate, pecan nut toffee, old leather, clove, ginger with a touch of treacle and creosote to follow. Its finish is characterised by smoke, yet here, itâs beautifully integrated with oak tannins, hints of baked apple and aniseed. On the aroma front, we detect toasted marshmallows, fragrant tea leaves, roasted chestnuts, the smell of sourdough bread baking in the oven and even something zesty â lemon balsam, perhaps. The experts at Ardbeg advise that a splash of water opens up the bouquet to reveal herbal top notes, lemon sorbet and pine.Â
As Dr Bill Lumsden observes, time has transported this descendent of the Ardbeg Corryvreckan into a world of its own. It nods to the past, but really, its flavour profile looks towards the future. So does its ingenious packaging; inspired by diving and space suits, the bottleâs silver capsule evokes both space and sea. It calls to mind the original Corryvreckan campaign, which featured a diver setting off from the distillery to take on the mighty yet treacherous whirlpool.
To build this mythology out further, each bottle comes with a graphic novel by famed comic book artist Tradd Moore. Set on the fictional Planet Ardbeg, it reimagines the tale of Norse King Breacan being swept into the whirlpool. According to Scottish lore, Breacan moored his boat near the whirlpool to impress a local princess, before being swept into the whirlpool, his body later dragged ashore by his dog.
Itâs not every day a whisky this rare, and with such a rich backstory, becomes available. Yet true to its exclusivity, The Abyss isnât easy to get ahold of â you can find it at the Distillery Visitor Centre on the island of Islay, or, in Australia, by signing up to the Ardbeg Committee, the brandâs VIP client community. Again, reflecting its rarity, each bottle is priced at $35,000. If youâre a serious collector with a palate for the ultimate Islay malt whiskies, donât sleep on The Ardbeg Abyss. Itâs set to become a legend in its own right.Â
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