Ardbeg – Auriverdes

Ardbeg Auriverdes is a single malt from the Islay distillery, released in 2014 for Ardbeg Day. The name joins the Latin 'auri' (gold) with the Spanish 'verdes' (green). These are the colours of Ardbeg's dark green packaging with gold lettering, and also those of the Brazilian national team, hosts of the 2014 football World Cup. It differs from the distillery's usual multi-cask maturation because of its toasted cask lids. Ardbeg describes the nose as tarry, with herbs and a touch of mocha. The palate opens with ground coffee, then smoked root vegetables, maple-smoked bacon and smoked salmon. The finish is long, with smoky vanilla.