Ardbeg Fermutation Committee Release 13 Year Old 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 pictured.

Age statements and transparency seem to be returning to official Ardbeg releases. This new Committee-only offering highlights the impact of the longest fermentation in the distillery's history. Many loyal Ardbeggians have been particularly excited about 'Fermutation', the result of a happy accident in 2007 when a boiler broke down. It led to an unplanned experiment, as six washbacks with tens of thousands of litres of fermented wort sat waiting to be distilled. In the end it took three weeks before the boiler was repaired and distilling could commence (for context, most Ardbeg is only fermented for 72 hours, making three weeks unchartered territory). Director of Whisky Creation, Bill Lumsden had always intended to trial longer ferments, describing the resulting dram as "...tasting like pure science fiction. Peat and smoke meld beautifully with fresh, floral flavours, while sharp, more malty notes give Ardbeg Fermutation a uniquely zingy profile.”

“Blind luck is sometimes just part of the way we do things here at Ardbeg,” added Colin Gordon, Ardbeg’s Distillery Manager. “But the creation of Fermutation wasn’t simply good fortune. Quick thinking, ingenuity and a little assistance from tiny beings in the atmosphere helped us get here. At 13 years old, this is of course an aged Ardbeg – something I’m sure our fans will be delighted to get their hands on.”

Once again, the distillery marketing team have gone for a quirky sci-fi pulp-novel look and feel, which compliments several other releases to date - and sort of makes sense, given just how different this whisky is reported to be. Bottled non chill filtered at 49.4% Alc./Vol. Extremely limited stocks.

Notes from the producers... Nose: Fresh, floral, herbal and tart. Hints of mixed herbs and cedar wood. Very zesty, vibrant, hints of smoked orange and grapefruit, lots of menthol and peppermint. With water, powerful bursts of diesel oil, tar, fresh paint and aniseed. As this dies down, a memory of freshly cut hay, and the tiniest hint of something savoury, like yeast extract or bread dough. Taste: A lively, vibrant, sharp, ‘zingy’ texture, leading into very firm, distinctive flavours – malty/biscuit tones, powerful aniseed, cardamom, antiseptic lozenge, sweet mint toffee and cigar ash. Finish: Finally, a lingering, salty, firm aftertaste of mint, tar, oak tannin & leather.