Ardbeg Kelpie Committee Only Edition 2017 70cl / 51.7%

A bottle of Ardbeg Kelpie, an expression inspired by myths and legends of the sea. Some of the malt was matured in Black Sea oak casks from the Adyghe Republic before marrying with Ardbeg's bourbon cask spirit.

This is the Ardbeg Committee Edition, first released on 16 March 2017. The general release went on sale on Ardbeg Day, 3 June 2017, bottled at a lower ABV of 46%.

The bottling code indicates this was bottled in 2016.

Ardbeg distillery began producing whisky commercially in 1815 and quickly became a valued fixture in the Islay community, with housing, a school and even a bowling green on the site. The distillery went through tough times in the early 20th century and was acquired by DCL and Hiram Walker in 1959. An increased demand for peated whisky in the 1960s and 1970s saw Ardbeg source malt from nearby Port Ellen, and the late 1970s marked the end of an era of self-sufficiency for the distillery. Mothballed in the 1980s, it was purchased by Glenmorangie in 1997 and today it is part of LVMH.

Despite or perhaps because of its turbulent history, the distillery maintains a cult following, with over 120000 members of the Ardbeg Committee worldwide.

This Ardbeg Kelpie sold at our online auction for £145