Ardbeg Launches Anamorphic
Ardbeg has announced the launch of Anamorphic, a limited edition whisky crafted using an experimental cask treatment process.
To create Ardbeg Anamorphic, barrel heads from classic Ardbeg bourbon casks were removed and scored deeply to expose more wood during the toasting process. The barrels were then charred intensely to a specification called ‘high mocha’, before being filled with Ardbeg spirit. The result is a single malt that morphs and shifts between four key elements – the sweet, the smoked, the herbal and the spicy.
Official tasting notes for Ardbeg Anamorphic follow:
Aroma: Earthy, dusty and slightly biscuity on the nose, this is a most curious Ardbeg, almost from an alternative universe. The sooty/tarry notes are clear but restrained, and are balanced out by some silky vanilla. Water opens up a myriad of herbal and floral notes – smoked vetiver root, aniseed, fennel, chrysanthemum and jasmine, to name but a few.
Taste: The mouthfeel is peppery and warming and precedes an explosion of fiery, spicy flavors, chilli-flavored chocolate, bittersweet mocha, briar wood, birch tar, ground black pepper and smoked artichokes.
Finish: The sooty/tarry notes build up to a crescendo of rich, smoky flavors with an incredible lingering aftertaste of charcoal bitter almonds and molasses.
Ardbeg Anamorphic is bottled at 48.2% ABV and is now available for purchase at select retailers, online for Ardbeg Committee Members, and at the Distillery Visitor Centre for a suggested retail price of $209.99.
Source: Ardbeg.