Ardbeg Day 2016 bottling recalls smuggling past

Islay single malt Scotch Ardbeg will release its Dark Cove expression on 28 May as the brand’s annual Ardbeg Day turns to Ardbeg Night to remember the island’s smuggling activities.

Ardbeg Dark Cove is the 2016 limited edition Ardbeg Day release

A no-age-statement, non-chill-filtered, limited edition whisky, Dark Cove is made from liquid matured in Sherry casks, married together with “hallmark” ex-Bourbon cask Ardbeg.

Given nosing and tasting notes include meaty, earthy and spicy characteristics, dark chocolate, treacle toffee, coffee, raisins, dates, ginger, charcoal, wood polish, smoked ham and squid ink noodles.

Dark Cove was developed as the 2016 release for the distillery’s annual Ardbeg Day, this year held on the night of 28 May as part of the Islay Festival of Malt and Music. Ardbeg Day is now celebrated at events around the world, with a themed single malt released each year.

For 2016, Dark Cove recalls how early distillers would smuggle whisky from Ardbeg Cove into black-painted ships. So substantial was the illicit whisky trade between the island of Islay and mainland Scotland that excise officers stationed a revenue cutter offshore to intercept smugglers’ boats.

“Distilling and smuggling whisky was once rife on Islay, and before the Ardbeg Distillery was founded the coasting roundabout was particularly notorious as a hideout for smugglers,” said Ardbeg distillery manager Michael “Mickey” Heads.

“In true smugglers’ style we will be keeping the finer details of this year’s Ardbeg Day celebrations under wraps a little longer, but rest assured they will be as intriguing as Ardbeg’s clandestine past.”

Members of the Ardbeg Committee, the brand’s group for Ardbeg enthusiasts, will be invited to attend a series of special tasting events held on the night of 28 May around the world.

Ardbeg Dark Cove is bottled at 46.5% abv and will retail at an RRP of £95 for a 70cl bottle. From 28 May to 11 June, it will be exclusively available from Ardbeg Embassies, before being released more widely via whisky retailers.