Ardbeg Grooves Committee Reserve Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such has some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product not shown.

A relatively hard-to-find Ardbeg Day bottling which Jim Murray enthused over, rating it 95.5 points.
Quite collectable. 51.6% Alc./Vol.

For 'Grooves', director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden has employed heavily charred red wine casks, the heat creating grooves in the surface of the wood. The expectation was to release flavours and aromas accenting "smoked spices, distant bonfires and chilli-seasoned meats".

"Casks made with grooved wood aren’t entirely new" notes Whisky Advocate. "Dewar’s released “Scratched Cask” a few years ago, where it finished whisky in heavily charred casks that had been scratched at the char layer, while Maker’s Mark offers grooved “cuvée” staves in its Private Select barrel program. The grooves offer additional surface area for the spirit to come into contact with, meaning heavier wood influence in the final whisky’s flavor.”

The marketing team have followed through with packaging inspired by 1960s hippie culture. And if you're lucky enough to attend the festival, this year will see the distillery transport whisky fans back in time, to the Ardbeg village of the late 1960s. Manager, Mickey Heads, adds “It was a very different place – a groovy wee community, with its own post office, billiards hall, two choirs and even a football team." It sounds like fun, but we'll have to settle for the whisky.