Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - The Harpy's Tale

Profile: The Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - The Harpy's Tale at a glance

• Limited Edition: The Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 years - The Harpy's Tale
• Premiere: The first bottling of a three-part series
• The first Ardbeg to mature in former Sauternes Wine Casks!

Portrait: What makes the Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - The Harpy's Tale special.

Ardbeg prides itself on being the ultimate Islay malt Whisky to be. Founded in 1815, Ardbeg is revered by connoisseurs around the world as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all Islay whiskies. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is known for its delicious sweetness, a phenomenon affectionately known as "the peaty paradox." 
In the 1980s and 1990s Ardbeg suffered from an uncertain future, and it was only when the brand was bought by the Glenmorangie Company in 1997 that the distillery was saved from bankruptcy. Since then, the distillery has risen like a phoenix from the ashes, and today Ardbeg has established itself as a cult malt with a passionate following.

The Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - The Harpy's Tale is the start of a three-part series (anthology = literary anthology). Each Ardbeg in the Anthology series combines two creatures, just like the mystical mythical creatures of Greek legends. “The Harpy” translates to “the harpy” - a legendary half-human, half-bird animal from ancient mythology - bears a striking resemblance to this whisky, elusive in nature and complex in style. A whisky that matured for 13 years in two different Casks and was then blended.
Matured for the first time in former Sauternes Wine Casks (rare & sought after and brings the sweetness in the malt whisky) and in former Bourbon Casks (for the classic Ardbeg smokiness).

The Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - Sounding unreal like a mythical creature, The Harpy's Tale achieves the ultimate balance of sweetness and smoke. A truly rare Ardbeg creature....

Tasting Notes: This is how the Ardbeg ANTHOLOGY 13 year old - The Harpy's Tale tastes like

• Nose: very distinctly oily, with aromas of olive oil, briar root wood, plus aromatic herbs such as coriander and sage and a touch of smoked lemon zest. With a little water, noticeably oilier, like linseed oil, with a slight waxiness, paired with aromatic carbolic soap and some crème brulée
• Palate: a soft, oily texture with rich, sweet-smoky taste, notes of oak moss, molasses, aniseed candy with a beautiful, sweet-woody balsamic note, followed by smoked apricots and eucalyptus oil
• Finish: long-lasting, sweet-smoky in the taste Finish, with hints of cumin, cardamom and a hint of coconut