Ardbeg Day, Sydney

by The Whisky Ledger

With Ardbeg Day 2015 rolling around in less than a month (May 30^th to be exact), I thought it was about time I recapped last year’s festivities in Sydney. Pictures speak a thousand words, so I’ll let them do most of the talking.

Sydney’s 2014 Ardbeg Day celebrations were held at The Mint, Sydney CBD’s oldest public building that once operated as a coin producing facility. Walking through the 19^th century wrought iron gates, we were greeted by Shortie and his relatives. Pretty sure I’m in the right spot.

Two steps further inside. Ah yes, I’m most definitely in the right spot.

I’m not generally a huge fan of whisky cocktails, but there were two variants on offer and one of them was a cracking, moreish concoction of Ardbeg 10 year old, pear nectar and simple syrup with a dash of vanilla and orange bitters to boot. I’m sure it had an official name, but I’m simply going to call it delicious peaty breakfast juice.

We all know what happens when you drink on an empty stomach but thankfully there was no chance of that happening with ample canapés doing the rounds, including dozens and dozens of freshly shucked oysters. If you’ve not yet samples oysters + a drop of peated whisky, take my word for it, it’s a stellar match.

Before the day’s festivities even rolled around, we knew 2014’s Ardbeg Day release was called Auriverdes (meaning gold and green). We also knew 2014 happened to be the year the FIFA World Cup was being held in Brazil, so it came as no surprise to find the day heavily soccer themed.

If you could drag yourself away from the Ardbeg, edible delights & live music, there were a bunch of soccer themed games and activities setup.

I must admit that I didn’t really pay too much attention until I noticed some mates return with a loot of prizes. Then it was game on!

I managed to score some Ardbeg coasters, a fob key ring and this neat cardholder – which is rather astonishing considering I have two left feet and zero sporting ability. If there’s a similar setup this year, mark my words, I plan on being a walking Ardbeg merchandiser by the end of the day.

The small Ardbeg-branded foosball table was good fun, but from the moment we first walked in, we all really wanted to see was this one in action. That’s right, a human-sized inflatable foosball table!

Yes, we got to have a go at the end. Yes it was loads of fun. Yes, we all thought we were elite athletes when we were strapped in there. Speaking of which, former Socceroo, Chelsea and Man. United goal-keeper, Mark Bosnich, was on hand to award the winners with their trophy and help officially introduce Auriverdes to the crowd.

And that’s when things really kicked-off!

I don’t think I could ever tire of this sight – enjoyed responsibly, of course.

Just in case you needed a top-up at all, there was an extra bottle on hand.

All this sport made many rather hungry, so this was a welcome sight to all. Spit-roast, salads and sides – all generously on the house.

If you liked the look of this, then you really, really don’t want to miss Ardbeg Day 2015!

Head on over to Ardbeg.com, register your details, become an Ardbeg Committee Member and be the first to get notified when Ardbeg Day registrations open. See you on the 30^th… in the future.

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30Apr2014

Ardbeg Auriverdes

by The Whisky Ledger

Officially released 31 May 2014, 49.9% ABV

On 31 May 2014, Ardbeg will officially release their third annual Ardbeg Day whisky, Auriverdes – the name being a nod to the golden (auri) Ardbeg whisky and the iconic Ardbeg green (vedre) bottle.

The bottle labeling also points to subtle second meaning in the name, with Auriverdes said to be ‘a winning dram’ with vanilla ‘driving the flavour home’ with this Ardbeg being a ‘kick’. In case you doubted the not-too-subtle World Cup references, then the sight of this stunning trophy – I mean – bottle will surely change your mind!

I guess this one can simply be called Auri.

Auriverdes is described as being a whisky of two halves, with the official release citing a new toasting technique that gives the whisky ‘a mocha coffee flavour at one end, flowing into creamy vanilla at the other’.

I’m thinking this could mean that cask the lids have each been charred to a different level? Until such time as I get an audience with its creator, the talented Dr Bill Lumsden, that’s just going to have to remain a guess. As for the remaining particulars, it’s bottled at 49.9% ABV following an unknown number of years of maturation in American Oak casks.

It was a bittersweet moment cracking open this bottle. On one hand, I was opening the most striking, individual looking bottle I’ve ever owned. On the other hand though, I knew it was full of Ardbeg – and no ordinary Ardbeg at that – a new expression that I was fortunate enough to get a sneak preview of, ahead of its official release. With a squeak and a th’dunk, that cork was out and a dram was poured.

It’s golden indeed! Shall we give it a taste?

Nose

Up front, I get some pretty big sweet creamy vanilla notes, milky chocolate and a slight peaty freshness (almost light in a way – not overly medicinal or earthy). After a few minutes I got some grassy hay, a dry herbal character and some hints of lemon and mandarin zest.

Palate

Quite spicy up front. A nice oiliness gives way to some pretty boisterous, tarry medicinal peat – more than I got from the nose, that’s for sure. Tangy saline emerges, along with a fair pinch of spice, zest and a subtle honey sweetness. Overall, still quite dry and fairly light.

Finish

A fairly lengthy, warming finish, albeit quite dry and slightly tannic. I got some more vanilla sweetness at first, but that seemed to fade to a good helping of ashy peat and smoked meats, which linger to the end.

Comments

Overall, I found this to be a lighter style of Ardbeg, taking some of the freshness of Ardbeg Day, but picking up on the subtle rounded notes of Ardbog. In the end though, it’s very different to both and a completely unique expression in its own right. As with the other two, I’m not sure I can liken it to anything else Ardbeg currently offer.

I’m so glad Dr Bill and the Ardbeg boffins continue to mix it up and experiment with their stocks, putting their crazy ideas into practice and coming up with some pretty exciting creations.

In 31 sleeps, Ardbeg fans the world over are going to be in for a bit of a treat when this gets released. If you haven’t done so yet, sign up to the Ardbeg Committee and come along to Ardbeg Day on 31 May.

If you can’t make it – don’t fret – you can also get your hands on your very own (green) bottle of Auriverdes from specialist retailers right around the country from 31 May at an RRP of AU $135.70 (which is actually cheaper than the £80 RRP in the UK – Shh, don’t tell them!)

A sincere thanks to Ardbeg Australia for the sneak preview. Bring on Ardbeg Day!

Edit – I’ve since been advised that the RRP in Australia is actually AU $190 and not $135.70 as referenced above.

12Apr2014

31 May is Ardbeg Day!

by The Whisky Ledger

Around this time each year, a certain group of Ardbeg fans start to get restlessly excited as details of Ardbeg Day start to make their way into the inboxes of Committee Members, the Ardbeggians, all over the world.

Our friends in Scotland have been celebrating Ardbeg and all things Islay for over a decade as part of their annual Islay Whisky Festival, Feis Ile (I’m determined to get there one day!)

Recognising that we all can’t make it to Islay, the folks at Ardbeg HQ wanted their loyal followers all over the world to be able to join in on the fun. So three short years ago, Ardbeg Day was proclaimed and has henceforth been celebrated the world over.

Ardbeg Day: The shenanigans

From 2012’s Islay-lympics, to last year’s archaeological themed Ardbog Day, the day’s celebrations have always amounted to copious amounts of peaty fun.

This year promises to be no different, with Ardbeg Day having a full World Cup theme, complete with interactive football events and plenty of Ardbeg on offer. Australia’s very own Ardbeg Day celebrations will take place in Sydney on Saturday 31 May at a yet-to-be disclosed location.

Save the date – 31 May is Ardbeg Day!

How you can get involved

Being part of the fun is easy. Simply head on over to the Ardbeg website and sign up to become a member of the Ardbeg Committee. This will help ensure you receive the latest updates on Ardbeg Day and all the details on how you can get involved. Did I mention it’s free?

If that’s not incentive enough, you’ll also receive this great little welcome pack, complete with your own official welcome letter and membership number, a concertinaed booklet of Ardbeg’s history and a fun booklet of the committee’s rules and regs.

If you’re new to the world of peated whisky, don’t be afraid to get involved (like I once was). If you can appreciate a warming dram of Ardbeg and the company of fellow Ardbeggians, you’re bound to have a good time!

The whisky: Auriverdes

The day’s shenanigans are just half the fun though and there’s another (very good) reason us Ardbeggians get as excited as a kid at Christmas. You see, we will be among the first in the world to taste the latest Ardbeg release, Auriverdes, which will be officially launched on Ardbeg Day!

Said to be a whisky of two halves, Auriverdes has been matured in American Oak casks which have had their heads (the circle bits at the end) specially toasted and charred. This process is said to have imparted ‘a unique flavour profile of mocha coffee and creamy vanilla’. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty enticing to me!
With a name derived from the golden (auri) Ardbeg whisky and the iconic green (vedre) bottle, this year’s release sounds like it’ll be a good one. Keep an eye out for my take on Auriverdes in the near future.

If you can’t make it this year

Fear not! The official Ardbeg Day release, Auriverdes, will start to appear in specialty retailers around the country from 31 May and there’ll be a recap of the day’s events, on this very site, not long after.

30Jan2014

News for Australian Glenmorangie & Ardbeg fans

by The Whisky Ledger

Glenmorangie Companta

If you’re a Glenmorangie fan, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of their annual ‘Private Edition’ release. It all started with the highly-praised Sonnalta PX back in 2009, followed by Finealta and Artein. Then there was last year’s release, Ealanta, which was awarded whisky of the year by the author of the Whisky Bible, Jim Murray. The 2014 Private Edition release – Companta – has just gone on sale in both the UK and USA and is fast selling out by the looks of it.

From what I understand, approx. 60% of the whisky in Companta has been matured in ex-Grand Cru casks from Clos de Tart, with the remaining 40% coming from whisky that’s been matured in ex-Rasteau fortified wine casks from Cotes du Rhone. These were then married together, producing the amazing crimson-amber hue seen in the photo below.

Source: Kevin Mackintosh for Glenmorangie

The Australian market missed out on the first few releases, but the folks at Moet-Hennessy (the Australian importers of Glenmorangie & Ardbeg) did bring Ealanta to our shores last year. Will we see Companta arrive this year?

No official confirmation from Moet-Hennessy at this stage, but I’ve heard from someone in the industry that Companta will be reaching our shores around April. Let’s hope they’re right, as I for one am really looking forward to trying it.

Ardbeg Auriverdes

This next one hasn’t been officially announced just yet, but someone did a little digging around online and managed to find these very curious front and rear labels for the new Ardbeg Auriverdes. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more about this one in the coming months!

Along with the name (which I believe translates to ‘Gold and Green’), the wording and imagery on the label has lead many to speculate that Ardbeg’s latest has some association with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Here in Australia, we’d like to think the green and gold reference has something to do with us – I somehow don’t think that’s the case though.

As with Companta, there’s no official confirmation from Moet-Hennessy just yet, but rumour has it we will see this expression in Australia around June. In time for Ardbeg Day 2014 perhaps? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to try both of these expressions!

ps. I always like to include my own photography in my posts, but until I’m able to get my hands on these gems, these stock images will just have to do! Isn’t Kevin Mackintosh’s photography magical!

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Ardbeg Day, Sydney