Ardbeg Spectacular
The Ardbeg Committee was founded in 2000, born from a fan club of sorts started in 19999. Ardbeg was officially founded in 1815, though it had been producing whisky there for over almost twenty years there previously. It shuttered in the early 1990s and was purchased by Glenmorangie in 1997 and reopened, with the Ardbeg Committee soon following to foster love of the brand and make sure the distillery never closed again. While the Committee offers communications and solidarity for the affecionados, there has also been yearly whisky releases under the Committee banner. The 2024 Committee offering is the Ardbeg Spectacular, which was matured in a blend of ex-bourbon and ex-port casks. This is different than past releases that made use of cask finishing. The circus connection is unknown.
Glenmorangie 18 Year
Glenmorangie was founded in 1843 after William Matheson purchased the Morangie farm at the site, which had been brewing beer and spirits there for over a century, according to legend. Boasting the tallest stills in Scotland, it is often named one of the best selling whiskies in Scotland. While the distillery produced whiskies for use in blends, they ceased in 2009 to focus on single malts. Their offerings feature an array of age and no-age statements, often finished in a variety of ex-wine casks. The distillery and its current Director of Distilling, Dr Bill Lumsden, have helped pioneer cask finishing in the modern era. The Glenmorangie 18 is aged for 15 years and then 30% of the cut is finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks for three years before being blended back in.
Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo
Glenmorangie debuted it’s “Tale of” series in 2020, and is a highly experimental set of offerings from the Highland distillery. The selections are curated by the distillery’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, and fashioned around a story or sensory experience. Dr. Bill has…