Ardbeg – Dark Cove Feis Ile 2016 (70cl, 46.5%)

Ardbeg – Dark Cove Feis Ile 2016 is a whisky from Ardbeg (Islay). Bottled at 46.5% ABV, 70cl. Since its establishment in 1815, The Ardbeg distillery has been on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride of ownership changes, closures, and reopening. Stability was only achieved relatively recently, when the ailing distillery was purchased in 1997 by industry giants, Glenmorangie. The subsequent years have seen the distillery’s popularity swell, with fans enticed by the signature style of tarry, sooty smoke, balanced against citric sweetness and an oily mouthfeel. While Ardbeg still retains its distinctive personality, it has definitely been influenced by Glenmorangie’s propensity for experimenting with cask finishing, and (dare we say it) NAS expressions. Dark Cove Feis Ile 2016: Harking back to Islay’s dark illicit past, with tales of smugglers plying their trade under the cover of darkness, this Ardbeg claims to be the darkest ever bottled. Word on the street is that, despite being bottled at a lower ABV than the Committee Release, the festival bottling is a better dram. Please examine the images of the bottle.