2018's Ardbeg Day whisky recalls the ‘Summer of Love’ 51 years ago with the annual release for Ardbeg Day on Saturday, 2 June, an annual celebration centred on the distillery’s open day during Fèis Ìle, the Islay Festival of Music and Malt.

For this year’s bottling, director of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks Dr Bill Lumsden has matured part of the whisky in re-toasted red wine casks. These casks were intensely charred to create heavy grooves in the surface of the wood, designed to produce more intense flavours of ‘smoked spices, distant bonfires and chilli-seasoned meats’.

As in previous years, two variants will be launched to mark Ardbeg Day: one bottled at 46% abv and on general release and another bottled exclusively for members of the Ardbeg Committee at 51.6%

Nose: A funky mix of chorizo like meat, sooty red fruit liquorice, smoked seafood chowder, salty black grapes, crispy fish skin in a muddy peat bog! Rootsy and tarry..think wellington boots in a wet mulchy forest or on a freshly laid tarmac road. Some redcurrant and red bean curd like notes here too along with oily rock pool/maritime notes.

Palate: The first thing that grabs hold of your palate is the firm grip of black grape and fruity liquorice then the crunchy redcurrant and peppery salami meat note emerges from the fog of the earthy and dirty peat smoke (but dirty in a groovy and sexy way!) some black squid ink or bean curd like body with smoked paprika and salted toffee popcorn. More of that rootsy and tarry mouthfeel late on along with some smoked bacon and red wine crisps and gamey notes.

Finish: Long and peppery, more chorizo and tarry fish oils with that dirty/earthy peat and black grape combination playing out with notes of anise, new leather and gentleman's relish