Ardbeg – Smokiverse (75cl, 48.3%)

Ardbeg Smokiverse is an Islay single malt Scotch whisky released for Ardbeg Day and to mark 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee in 2025. It is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 48.3% ABV in a 75cl bottle. The distillery used a method called high gravity mashing, with much less water and more grain in the mash tun than usual, which intensified the flavour-active acetate esters and drew out fruitier, sweeter flavours. The notes describe muscovado sugar, ripening barley and toasted sourdough, with sweet peat smoke alongside ripe tropical fruits, and a rich, creamy mouthfeel.