ARDBEG DAY PLUNGES DEEP UNDER THE SEA

Cult Islay Distillery gets ready for another legendary global celebration of all things Ardbeg

Ardbeg, the Ultimate Islay Malt has today revealed its plans for the 2017 Ardbeg Day celebrations.

On 3^rd June, the Distillery will pay homage to the sea surrounding Islay and the mythical sea creatures that live beneath. Participants in Ardbeg Day will be plunged deep under the sea to help celebrate the launch of Ardbeg Kelpie with a day filled with mystery, food, games… and of course, Ardbeg Single Malt.

Guests of Ardbeg Day will be invited to join in an Ardbeggian boat experience, followed by a tasting led by Ardbeg’s Paul Malone of the new Ardbeg limited edition, Kelpie, alongside seafood pairings and a pub quiz on the history of Islay and Ardbeg.

In the UK, each Ardbeg Embassy will have a team that will be challenged to decorate their own Kelpie boat, adding their own mythical figurehead from materials and props supplied. The participating teams will have to paddle across a stretch of water to reach a number of buoy targets en route. Each buoy will lead to a treasure hidden under the water.

The venue for this year’s UK activities will be the Greenwich Yacht Club – a perfect location to celebrate Ardbeg Day and the launch of Kelpie. Tickets will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 from 5th May 2017 for £40 per person.

Ardbeg’s general release of Kelpie at 46% ABV, launches on Ardbeg Day (3rd June), the expression will be available to purchase from https://www.moethennessy-selection.co.uk/ardbegday2017 and Ardbeg Embassies* and for a two-week exclusive period. Kelpie will then be available at Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists and department stores with a RRP of £98.00.

Ardbeg Day will be celebrated at the distillery on Saturday 3^rd June 2017 and at participating Ardbeg Embassies around the world.

More details can be found at www.ardbeg.com where fans can also sign up to join the Ardbeg Committee.

#ardbeg #untamed #islay

NOTES :

Ardbeg Kelpie tasting notes at 46% ABV: 

Colour:                Burnished gold

Aroma:                A wonderful, intense, ‘dancing’ nose, with lots of different, intertwined aromas – powerful, oily peat, dark chocolate, smoked fish, hints of seaweed, and a curious, sharp herbal note. Waves of spicy black pepper.

A splash of water brings forth some classic Ardbeg notes, such as creamy coffee, smoked fudge and pine resin.  Even some hints of smoked coconut.

Taste:                   A peppery mouthfeel is followed by a crescendo of rich flavours.  Treacle toffee, Turkish coffee, smoky bacon and lots of dark, dark chocolate.  A curious burst of peachy, estery fruit, hickory wood, clove oil and a suggestion of black olives.

Finish:                  Seemingly lasting forever, with deep, deep, almost subterranean flavours of clove, tar, and rich toffee.

Ardbeg Day:

Every year, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music takes place in May or June on Ardbeg’s island home.  On the Festival’s final Saturday, Ardbeg Day, the Distillery traditionally throws open its doors to welcome fans from all over the world.  In 2012 Ardbeg Day became a global event, enabling the whisky’s passionate international following to take part in a worldwide celebration of all things Ardbeg in their own country.  Recent Ardbeg Day themes have included the Islay-limpics and the Peat Football World Cup, while in 2015, Ardbeg Day celebrated the single malt’s 200th anniversary by looking forward 200 years to a retro-futuristic version of Islay in 2215.  For 2016, Ardbeg Day became Ardbeg Night, as fans at 215 events across the globe recalled Islay’s dark past as a smugglers’ haunt.

Ardbeg Kelpie:

Ardbeg Kelpie is a limited-edition bottling created to celebrate Ardbeg Day 2017.  It is the Distillery’s first whisky with a heart matured in virgin oak from the Black Sea coast.  Renowned for imparting incredibly deep flavour notes, only a handful of whiskies have ever been matured in these Black Sea casks.  Married with hallmark ex-bourbon Ardbeg, it results in a whisky of incredible depth, which tells of its ties to the Black Sea and the waves of flavour its casks have created. 

The kelpie:

Situated on the shore of Islay’s southernmost coast, the Ardbeg Distillery has always held a deep connection to the sea – and those who live nearby have passed down through generations the stories of mysterious beasts said to live beneath the waves.  Among the most terrifying of these is the kelpie – a Scottish shape-shifting water spirit, rumoured to take the form of a horse or a bull and prey on unwitting travellers.  Legend has it that long ago, a farmer walking near Ardbeg’s shoreline was almost dragged to sea by a water bull.  Managing to overcome and rope the creature, he locked it in a barn where it cried for mercy.  At dusk, the farmer’s daughter was chased by a water horse seeking revenge for its kin.  The terrified girl ran to the barn and released the water bull, whereupon the malevolent beasts took flight back to the sea.

Ardbeg:

Ardbeg is The Ultimate Islay Single Malt Whisky.  Established in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all the Islay malts.  Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is renowned for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon that has affectionately become known as ‘the peaty paradox’.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future and it was not until the brand was purchased by The Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the Distillery was saved from extinction.  Since then, the Distillery has risen like a phoenix and today Ardbeg is well established as a niche, cult malt, with a passionate following.  

Ardbeg Committee:

The legacy of the whisky was safeguarded in 2000 by the formation of the Ardbeg Committee.  The Committee is made up of thousands of Ardbeg followers worldwide who are keen to ensure that “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”.  Today there are more than 100,000 members of the Ardbeg Committee in more than 130 countries.  Committee members are regularly consulted on new bottlings and expressions and are offered exclusive Committee bottlings.  Members also receive invitations to special gatherings, tastings and events.  The Committee, chaired by Mickey Heads, is free to join at ardbeg.com.

Awards:

Ardbeg is the world’s most highly awarded smoky single malt whisky.  Since 2008, Ardbeg has won more than 50 gold and double gold medals in key whisky competitions.  Ardbeg was voted ‘Scotch Whisky of the Year’ twice by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible (2008, 2009) and has twice been awarded ‘World’s Best Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards (2010, 2013).  At the 2014 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, Mickey Heads was voted ‘Distillery Manager of the Year’.  The following year, Ardbeg’s expressions took the top three spots in Whisky Advocate magazine’s review of the best single malt Scotch whiskies under US$100.  Meanwhile, both Ardbeg Corryvreckan and Ardbeg Uigeadail have been awarded gold medals at the 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Glenmorangie Company:

The Company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.  Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Company produces Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

Responsible Drinking:

Ardbeg and The Glenmorangie Company advocate responsible drinking and suggest that drinkers savour Ardbeg whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines for alcohol consumption.