Flavour profile is AI-assisted and still being refined.
Tasting
How it drinks
Sight
Rich gold with reddish tints from the wine cask; medium-full body
Nose
The experimental charred-and-grooved wine casks add a unique smoky-sweet dimension. Peat smoke mingles with charred wood, dark berries (blackcurrant, blackberry), and red wine tannins. Vanilla, caramel, and dark chocolate. BBQ smoke rather than campfire — there is a grilled quality. Cinnamon and black pepper spice
Palate
Ardbeg through a wine-and-char lens. The grooved casks intensify wood interaction — more charred oak, vanilla, and caramel than standard Ardbeg. Dark berries and red wine fruit layer over the phenolic peat base. BBQ-style smoke (grilled meat, charcoal) rather than the usual maritime tar. Dark chocolate, espresso, and warming spice. A festival-worthy experiment that works beautifully
Finish
Medium-long finish. Charred wood, dark berries, and peat smoke intertwine. Vanilla and caramel sweetness. The wine cask tannins provide structure on the tail. A fun, distinctive Ardbeg that shows the distillery's experimental spirit
Tasting notes are AI-assisted and still being refined.
Maturation
The wood it came through
Ex-bourbon barrels with heavily charred wine cask finish (grooved)
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