Ardbeg Fon Fhòid
The Ardbeg distillery on the Isle of Islay has undertaken an unusual, unprecedented experiment. Eight years ago, in 2014, two second-fill bourbon barrels full of the now-matured whisky were buried in peat. The time has just come for the barrels to be dug up and their contents bottled.
Ardbeg Fon Fhòid, as this is the name of the whisky created as a result of the experiment described above, is a beverage with a strength of 45.5% vol., bottled without cold filtration and without added caramel colorant. The contents of the aforementioned two barrels were enough to fill 456 bottles, sold on the NFT system, exclusively through Blockbar. The cost of buying one bottle is currently just over $3,000 US dollars.
An intriguing new whisky from Ardbeg, the aroma offers earthy notes (which seems natural), citrus, moss, wax, molasses, sugar cane, some herbal and vegetal accents. On the taste we can expect notes of grilled artichoke, rye bread and freshly ground pepper. The classic ardbeg smokiness is clearly withdrawn here, but appears in the background in the form of soot-dusted fennel.
No further information was disclosed about the age of the whisky when the barrels were buried in the peat bog. According to the regulations defining Scotch whisky, only this age could be considered on the label. The whisky must be matured in oak casks in a bonded warehouse within Scotland, and only the period of such maturation can be included on the label as an age determination. So, even though it has been at least 11 years since distillation, the age listed on the label might not be very impressive.
Founded in 1815, Ardbeg is one of three legendary distilleries located on the south coast of the Isle of Islay, and is renowned for the uncompromising peaty and smoky character of its products. Acquired and relaunched in 1998 by Glenmorangie plc, Ardbeg gradually returned to its former. The construction of a new alembic hall in 2019 (not operational until March 2021 due to pandemic restrictions) nearly doubled the plant's potential capacity, which today stands at just over 2 million liters of pure alcohol per year.
On the shelves of the House of Whisky Online you can find a wide range of whiskies from Ardbeg - both those bottled by the owner and a whole range of independent editions. Among them are bottles of no small collector's value, as well as editions for everyday savoring. We invite you to visit.
[14.04.2022 / photo: Ardbeg]