Ardbeg – Scorch Committee Release (70cl, 51.7%)

Ardbeg – Scorch Committee Release is a whisky from Ardbeg (Islay). Bottled at 51.7% 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. Scorch Committee Release: This limited edition of the Scorch was available exclusively to Committee members as a preview of the 2021 festival release. Of course, thanks to everyone’s favourite global pandemic, the 2021 Feis Ile wasn’t actually a thing, so most of had to make do with a quite dram indoors with no more than four other people from two households. At least the whisky was a good one. Inspired by local folk tales of dragons, the Scorch has been aged in fiercely charred American oak casks.