Ardbeg Ardcore – General Release was released as a highly anticipated limited edition for Ardbeg Day 2022.
Furthermore, this specific bottle represents a historic milestone for the Islay distillery. Consequently, it marks the very first time Ardbeg utilized dark roasted black malt in their distillation process. The marketing and packaging draw heavy aesthetic inspiration from 1970s punk rock culture, paying an direct homage to Islay’s main shipping port, Port Ellen, which locals affectionately nicknamed “Punk Ellen” during that era.
Because of the heavily roasted black malt, the distillery famously warns that drinking this dram feels like “biting on a spiky ball.” The official house breakdown remains bold, intense, and smoky.
This is the general release bottle available to everyone. There is a the committee release that comes in at a punchier 50.1% ABV.
Official Tasting Notes
- Colour: Pale gold.
- Nose: Loud, upfront, and in-your-face. It leads with dominant aromas of charcoal, soot, and sweet campfire smoke. Furthermore, background notes of tarry ropes and crunchy toasted bread intermingle with sharp flashes of grapefruit zest and fresh menthol.
- Palate: Rich, oily, and intensely savoury. It stamps the tongue with potent notes of charred barley, pungent aniseed, and bitter dark chocolate. Subsequently, an underlying marshmallow sweetness helps balance out the heavy layers of dry ash and soot.
- Finish: A long, aggressive, and highly punctuation-heavy finish. It leaves a lasting trace of salty black liquorice, old leather, and a punchy peat smoke reek.
SIZE: 7ocl
ABV: 46%
Due to the various ages of bottles, corks and their seals, the condition of liquid is at the buyer’s discretion. We will not refund or offer exchanges for damaged corks.
This bottle has come from a private collection. If you require any more information or photographs, then please ask.
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