Latest news with #Ardbeg
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Ardbeg release The Beithir's Tale - the final whisky in Anthology series
Ardbeg Islay single malt whisky has unveiled an aromatic and creamy 15-year-old limited edition – the finale to its Anthology series of rare and strange single malts. Named after a mythological, serpent-like beast, Ardbeg Anthology: The Beithir's Tale is the distillery's first whisky matured in designer bourbon casks. Crafted to Ardbeg's particular specifications, these casks help create full-bodied flavours of smoked butter and vanilla which complement the whisky's classic notes of menthol and pine. Ardbeg Anthology is a trilogy of unusual single malts which cross classic Ardbeg with experimental stock to create sweeter, more delicate tones. Capturing the 'hybrid' characters of these whiskies, each malt's name and packaging are inspired by a different mythological creature said to have been glimpsed on Islay. The bad-tempered beithir may (or may not), have once slithered through an Ardbeg warehouse. Years ago, the distillery's whisky creators laid down a parcel of Ardbeg in designer bourbon casks, eager to explore their effects on its smoky, balanced spirit for the first time. Air-seasoned – rather than kiln-dried – then heavily toasted and lightly charred exactly as they asked, these bespoke casks promised to bring fuller, creamier flavours to Ardbeg. Matured for 15 years, the experiment has reached a sweet and aromatic peak. The Beithir's Tale overflows with these buttery notes, balanced by Ardbeg's hallmark smoky tones and sharp tangs of eucalyptus and pine. The Beithir's Tale completes the Anthology series, joining The Harpy's Tale – a 13-year-old marriage of classic Ardbeg with the distillery's first whisky matured in Sauternes sweet white wine casks – and The Unicorn's Tale, aged 14 years, which unites bourbon-matured Ardbeg with whisky wholly aged in Madeira wine casks. Master blender Gillian Macdonald said: 'We are always pushing the boundaries of Ardbeg to discover even more flavour combinations. The sweet and smoky 'hybrids' of Ardbeg Anthology are as experimental as they come. 'Created from whisky matured in our designer casks, The Beithir's Tale is the aromatic and sweet finale of our Anthology series. 'Named after a mythological, serpentine beast, this 15-year-old whisky invites notes of vanilla and smoked butter to slide through Ardbeg's classic aromatic flavours of peat smoke, fennel, eucalyptus and pine. Rather like the beithir, it is smooth and mysterious… with a smoky, menthol bite!' Ardbeg Anthology: The Beithir's Tale has been recognised with the Spirit Gold Outstanding 2025 award (98 points) at this year's International Wine & Spirits Competition and a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge. Priced at £135 with an ABV of 46%, Ardbeg Anthology: The Beithir's Tale will be available for purchase at the Ardbeg website, in Ardbeg Embassies, at the distillery visitor centre on Islay and in selected whisky specialists.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Inside The Curious Tale Of Whisky's 100 Rarest Casks
In 1994, Mark Reynier convinced a near-shuttered Ardbeg distillery to fill 100 "swan song" casks, an act that created some of the rarest whisky in the world and unknowingly pioneered the private cask investment movement. getty Today, Ardbeg can charge $21 million (£16 million) for a cask of whisky, but back in 1994 they were shuttered, barely operational and running intermittently on a team borrowed from Laphroaig. Quietly one man, enamoured by the quality of the whisky, petitioned the distillery to fill him 100 casks. They were to be the swan song of the Ardbeg distillery as it was then, and have gone on to become some of the most elusive casks on the market. Earlier this month Bunnahabhain distillery became the first established Islay distillery to offer casks direct to the public in over a decade. It may herald the start of a new era for the industry of private cask investment, but as is so often the case, it is just a new version of an old story. Mark Reynier, possibly best known for reviving the Bruichladdich distillery, was the man behind the parcel of unicorn Ardbeg casks. Yet it was a story I only came across by chance when reading Heavenly Peated , a comprehensive history of the Ardbeg distillery. Intrigued, I reached out to Reynier to find out more about the original Islay cask investment, and the birth of a new movement. Mark Reynier has an enviable resume. He is the co-founder of independent bottler Murray McDavid, the executive behind the revival of Islay's Bruichladdich Distillery, and founder of Ireland's terroir‑driven Waterford Distillery. But before all of that, in 1984 Mark Reynier founded La Réserve wine merchants. In the beginning it was a fine wine retail business and in his own words: 'I thought there was no point putting Johnny Walker on the shelf, everyone sells that. So I'll do nothing. Just Armagnac, Cognac, Eau-de-vie… Single malt didn't even register at the time.' A pivotal visit from Gordon Wright introduced Mark Reynier to Springbank, revealing a world beyond generic blends and sparking the very ideas that would shape his career in whisky. Mark Littler LTD Luckily a visit from Gordon Wright introduced Reynier to Springbank, Cadenhead single cask releases, and the idea that whisky did not just have to be a generic blend. It was a pivotal moment for Reynier, but of course it wasn't just him who needed to be convinced. They had a fantastic product, but they needed to find a way to get it in front of more people. Reynier wasn't a fan of the single cask bottlings of the time because they were too inconsistent for his customers who he was already having to turn away from wine. 'I remember selling some bottles to a customer, saying it was the best thing since sliced bread, and then realizing it wasn't the same barrel when the guy brought it back, complaining. And that's when the idea of mine came about. Because I can't sell a bottle with confidence not knowing whether it's brilliant or ordinary, so what else can I do with this great product?' The tradition of a godparent buying a godson a port pipe to lay down for adulthood was already beginning to fade in the 1980s. There was the sheer cost of port to contend with, and the fact that most people, even the very wealthy, did not have the space or the inclination to lay down an entire lifetime's worth of port. Casks of single malt whisky, which had to be matured in bond in Scotland, solved both issues. 'By the time I looked into it, a pipe of Graham's port would've cost you £30,000, not exactly practical. That's when I had the idea: what about whisky instead? You could buy a whole cask for around £1,000. It was more affordable yet still had that same sense of occasion and legacy. I gave my own godson a barrel of whisky, and that's where the idea for offering Springbank casks to private individuals really came from.' Working Direct With The Distilleries Reynier was working directly with Springbank at the time. Through La Réserve he would broker small parcels of casks, selling them to his customers, and when they ran out simply requesting another parcel. 'It was great fun to do. We'd ask them to distill between 30 to 50 barrels, and then we'd sell those barrels to whoever wanted them. And then we repeat, and that's also when we did the Ardbeg.' At the time Ardbeg was owned by Allied Distillers, who also owned Laphroaig. They'd effectively shut Ardbeg down and were only running it sporadically using the same team as Laphroaig. Until finally Allied Distillers decided to shut it all together. Reynier was having none of it. 'I can remember thinking at the time, this whisky is extraordinary. Why are you shutting it down?' Mark Reynier Reynier convinced them to fire up the distillery one more time for an exclusive run of 100 casks. It wasn't just the casks Reynier was after though, he also had his eye on the distillery itself. 'I tried to buy Ardbeg outright. I thought I was the only one negotiating with them, but then Glenmorangie swooped in and bought it. Still, I like to think that without that push, it might have quietly disappeared altogether.' The Rarity of Ardbeg The whisky in those casks of Ardbeg remains some of the rarest in existence. 'I've seen just one of those bottles out in the wild. Just one. I often wonder where the rest ended up. They were stored at Cadenhead's, so maybe they've been quietly bottled and sold without the distillery name. It wouldn't surprise me' Reynier told me. Only a handful of these casks have ever surfaced publicly. In 2022, an Ardbeg 1994 hogshead fetched £205,000 at auction. Another near-identical cask made headlines when it became the subject of a Which? investigation after a pensioner was misled into selling it for just £30,000 to an unscrupulous cask firm. From near-permanent closure to becoming one of the most coveted names in single malt, the history of Ardbeg distillery is a story of survival and extraordinary peated whisky. Universal Images Group via Getty Images Springbank and Macallan casks that were sold in a similar era include the record breaking £1,000,000 cask sale. Those casks are scarce too, but by contrast to the 1994 Ardbeg parcel, they could almost be called common. It was 1994 when the casks were filled for him and his purchase of Ardbeg fell through, but undeterred from his plan, Reynier switched his sights to another historic Islay distillery. 'It would've been the first time someone had bought a distillery from outside the whisky industry. No one had done it before. I had a plan drawn up. But when it fell through, I moved on, and that's when I turned my attention to Bruichladdich.' The Birth Of Direct Cask Sales? Spurred by the success of his cask sales under La Réserve, when Reynier reopened Bruichladdich he did so with his own direct to the public cask sales offering. Before that other brokers had offered casks from other distilleries—the controversial Macallan 1989 casks are one interesting example—but to my knowledge this was the first time that a distillery had done it themselves. Springbank would follow suit with their own direct offerings, Arran distillery too when they opened. Even Macallan at one point had its own direct cask sale offering. I've seen the brochure offering casks that would one day be worth hundreds of thousands carefully exalted to potential investors. It was a time of innocence and opportunity in the burgeoning industry. Eventually those initial distillery offerings would stop, but the appetite was there. Brokers and dealers working more like Reynier in the days of La Réserve would take small parcels from the secondary market or negotiate parcels directly with distilleries. But it all followed on from Reynier, and one hundred of the rarest casks ever sold to the public.
Scotsman
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Win rare whisky in Master of Malt competition
Win thousands of pounds worth of Whisky for the price of a bottle of Bells with Master of Malt's competitions | Master of Malt This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Think you can tell your Laphroaig from your Glenfarclas? Master of Malt is giving whisky lovers a shot at owning a rare and pricey dram. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Do you think you know your Ardbeg from your Auchentoshan? Or your Lagavulin from your Laphroaig? Whisky geeks might be in with a chance of winning a super-rare, super-expensive spirit in a series of competitions by Master of Malt. The online purveyor of sumptuous Scotches has lined up some of the rarest whisky in the world to be give away as prizes, and all you need to do is answer some questions they describe as "fiendish". So far more than £1 million of whiskies have been won, and it's no surprise, because some of them are worth thousands of pounds. This 50-year-old Murray David could be yours for a fiver | Master of Malt Prices for tickets to enter the competitions vary depending on the dram that's up for grabs, but they start at just £5 - and that could win you anything from a £400 Macallan to a £600 Glenfarclas. All you need to do to enter is click here to choose your prize, and then answer the questions. If you're successful, you'll go into the draw and you're in with a chance of one of the world's rarest whiskies winging its way to you. Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here. Hello Fresh Meals from just £1.62 per person, delivered tomorrow (aff links) £ 36.99 Buy now Buy now If meal planning drives you up the wall, HelloFresh is the service we rate for taking the load off. We've tested it ourselves, and the convenience really does make a difference – ingredients arrive fresh and pre-measured, the recipes are easy to follow, and everything's clearly labelled so you can get straight to cooking without faffing about. The menu updates weekly, with quick dinners, veggie choices, indulgent extras and more. We liked how flexible it was – you can skip a week, swap meals, or cancel anytime via the app. It's also a smart way to cut down on waste and save on the weekly shop. It won't suit everyone, but if you want to make weeknight dinners easier without compromising on quality, this is worth trying. 👉 Get 50% off your first box and a free dessert for life
Scotsman
30-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Win rare whisky in Master of Malt competition
Win thousands of pounds worth of Whisky for the price of a bottle of Bells with Master of Malt's competitions | Master of Malt This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement. Think you can tell your Laphroaig from your Glenfarclas? Master of Malt is giving whisky lovers a shot at owning a rare and pricey dram. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Do you think you know your Ardbeg from your Auchentoshan? Or your Lagavulin from your Laphroaig? Whisky geeks might be in with a chance of winning a super-rare, super-expensive spirit in a series of competitions by Master of Malt. The online purveyor of sumptuous Scotches has lined up some of the rarest whisky in the world to be give away as prizes, and all you need to do is answer some questions they describe as "fiendish". So far more than £1 million of whiskies have been won, and it's no surprise, because some of them are worth thousands of pounds. This 50-year-old Murray David could be yours for a fiver | Master of Malt Prices for tickets to enter the competitions vary depending on the dram that's up for grabs, but they start at just £5 - and that could win you anything from a £400 Macallan to a £600 Glenfarclas. All you need to do to enter is click here to choose your prize, and then answer the questions. If you're successful, you'll go into the draw and you're in with a chance of one of the world's rarest whiskies winging its way to you. Canva Get beach-ready with MySweetSmile's gentle teeth whitening range £ 20.99 Buy now Buy now Sunshine, selfies and holiday cocktails – summer is here, and so are all the moments you'll want to capture with a glowing smile. Whether you're jetting off for a beach escape or heading to a sunny staycation, MySweetSmile can help you look your best. This UK best-seller offers peroxide-free, gentle whitening that works its magic without harsh ingredients or faff. Their powder is perfect for whitening before take-off, while the handy on-the-go pen is great for keeping your smile photo-ready poolside. Shop the full MySweetSmile summer-ready range here.
The National
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Brandi Carlile poses with Irn-Bru, Scotch whisky and Saltire at Glasgow gig
Carlile, 44, is best known for her hit song, The Story, and has collaborated with artists including Hozier, Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys. She is currently on her "Lost Time Tour" across the UK, and played at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Thursday night. On her Instagram, she shared an image of her with a Saltire flag, Slatire heart pin badge in her mouth, a bottle of Ardbeg whisky and Scotland's other national drink, with the caption: "FREEDOM!". Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon reshared the image, along with another showing Carlile holding a Saltire on stage, and wrote: "Love @brandicarlile (even more so now [laughing emoji]). Gutted not to see her in Glasgow last night. Carlile, an 11-time Grammy Award-winning artist, was the most nominated woman at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, receiving six nominations, including nominations for Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. She recently teamed up with Sir Elton John - famous for hit songs such as Rocket Man, Tiny Dancer, and I'm Still Standing - to write and record a joint album titled Who Believes in Angels? which was released on April 4. Carlile taught herself to play piano after being introduced to the music of John as a teenager. Last week, he was in the audience as she performed at London's Royal Albert Hall. READ MORE: 'Stop the Genocide': Kneecap release film with Gaza surgeons ahead of Glastonbury set The two also had a sit-down conversation with Schitt's Creek star Dan Levy in March, and discussed their lives and music careers. Announcing the tour, she said: "My pre-adolescent Elton discovery was a gateway drug to Queen, The Beatles, U2, Kate Bush, George Michael, Sinéad O'Connor, David Bowie, Radiohead and I imagined a moody, and mysterious utopia of complicated musical bliss. "I had visions of myself on stage Royal Albert Hall. I dreamed it was me standing on the stage at Live Aid, clutching a half mic stand, and singing Radio Gaga instead of Freddie. When I finally made it over, I was in my 20s, and it was everything I knew it would be. It wasn't easy! "I've been working my whole life, and touring the UK and Europe as a baby band is not for the faint of heart. Nevertheless, I did THE zebra crossing; drank a real Guinness; had my first Ardbeg, and I experienced the European countryside to me. "I met my wife in London & got married at Chelsea Town Hall, and I now cross the Atlantic more than I could have ever hoped for - but not nearly enough to play my music, and bring my art home to the place where it really came from."
