Ardbeg Feis Ile 2022 Whisky Sample Adcore Committee Release (30ml, 50.1%)

Ardbeg Feis Ile 2022 Whisky Sample Adcore Committee Release (30ml, 50.1%)

The Ardbeg Ardcore (Committee Release) was the headline act for Ardbeg Day during Fèis Ìle 2022. It is famously known as Ardbeg’s "Punk Rock" whisky, not just for its spiky, safety-pin-clad marketing, but for a rebellious choice in the mash bill.

This was the first Ardbeg ever made with Black Malt—barley roasted at such high temperatures that it’s practically incinerated. Usually reserved for the darkest stouts and porters, this "burnt" grain gives Ardcore a profile that is far more industrial and savory than the typical fruity Ardbeg.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Punchy and "dark." The first hit is charcoal and coffee grounds, followed by a savory, yeasty note like freshly toasted rye bread or Marmite. Behind the soot, you get the classic Ardbeg citrus, but here it’s more like burnt orange peel and grilled lime. There’s a faint herbal breeze of menthol and fennel that keeps it from being too heavy.

Palate: A collision of sweet and bitter. The arrival is surprisingly creamy with vanilla and milk chocolate, but the black malt quickly takes over with potent aniseed, espresso, and bitter cacao. Mid-palate, it turns toward cigar ash and peanut brittle. The 50.1% ABV gives it a sharp, "zingy" texture that pierces through the oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Long, dry, and exceptionally "sooty." It leaves a lingering trail of dark chocolate, campfire ash, and a salty, leathery tang.

Why it's special

The Black Malt Experiment: This is the most significant change to the Ardbeg mash bill in modern history. Using "Chocolate" or "Black" malt is a technique borrowed from craft brewing (and Ardbeg's sibling, Glenmorangie Signet), resulting in a coffee-and-cocoa depth you won't find in any other Ardbeg.