Yes, it's here - in stock and available to order online! The final instalment of the quadrilogy that began in 2004 with the release of the now-fabled 'Very Young'. Here's the press stuff:
Since the distillery re-opened in 1997, many enthusiasts of Ardbeg were keen to sample our work in progress – none more so than the worldwide aficionados of the Ardbeg Committee, formed to ensure that ‘the doors of Ardbeg Distillery never close again’. It was to them that we released a limited bottling of ‘Very Young’ Ardbeg (distilled in 1998) for discussion and comment in 2004. Such was their acclaim that we decided to follow the peaty path to maturity with limited annual releases of the same distillate.
‘Still Young’ Ardbeg, bottled in 2006, was the next step along this peaty road, and in 2007 a limited release, ‘Almost There’, was the planned last stage on the journey to full maturity. However, Ardbeg fans thought otherwise and demanded to be able to taste the real conclusion to the peaty path, distilled 1998, bottled 2008, at ten years old. Thus, in 2008, we are proud to introduce the final bottling in this series, which is in effect a celebration of the re-opening of Ardbeg all those years ago.
So, we say “We’ve Arrived!”, with the launch of “Renaissance” – a strictly limited bottling.
At the end of the peaty path to maturity, we are also celebrating the renaissance of the distillery, with the release of this limited bottling.
The “Renaissance” bottling will mark the point when Ardbeg Ten Years Old will be bottled using 100% stock distilled since The Glenmorangie Company bought Ardbeg in 1997.
Ardbeg has arrived at its pinnacle of peaty maturity.
A supernova of aromas and tastes is released as a heady sophistication rises from the deepest peat.
Peat soaked in tropical juices, fused with toasted vanilla and sizzling cinnamon spice. Crisp, fresh and heady pine conceals an abundance of creamy malt, floral aromatics and warm oak …. all colliding with peat oils to create a powerful synchronicity.
This release caps a remarkable decade for one of the world's greatest distilleries. So, what next for Ardbeg? Presumably a new batch of the regular ten year-old will be on the horizon fairly soon as more and more distillate comes of age in the warehouses. After that, who knows? What's clear is that everyone involved with Ardbeg over the last ten years (and particularly former distillery manager Stuart Thomson) deserves a tremendous amount of praise for the distillery's spectacular rebirth and revival. We'll be raising a dram to them all.
