Ardbeg – Smokiverse (70cl, 48.3%)

Ardbeg Smokiverse is an Islay single malt bottled at 48.3% in a 70cl bottle, released to mark 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee in 2025. It is non-chill-filtered. The distillery calls it a high gravity experiment. The mash used less water and more grain, giving a concentrated wort and a dense, deeply flavoured spirit. The nose brings aromatic smoke, ripe barley and tropical fruit, with smoked bubblegum and sourdough bread. On the palate come tar, aniseed, oak and clove, set against the sweetness of cane sugar. The finish is earthy, with peat and the smoke of a slowly dying campfire.