Ardbeg has finally answered the calls of its loyal fanbase by releasing a cask strength version of its signature 10-year-old single malt whisky.
The new release, bottled at 61.7% ABV, was first requested by the Ardbeg Committee over two decades ago.
The Islay distillery is famed for producing some of the smokiest Scotch whisky, and the Ardbeg Ten, bottled at 46% ABV, is often considered the ultimate Islay expression. The Ardbeg Committee has been calling for a cask strength edition since 2003, when a highly limited version was released in Japan.
But this release is not simply an uncut version of the core release and was specifically made using ex-bourbon casks filled with undiluted spirit. That allowed the final ABV to reach such palate-burning heights, but it also means this release is a one-off rather than a new member of the core range.
Committee members will get first refusal on the bottles, which are being sold for £75 ($100).
Ardbeg Committee chair and distillery manager, Bryony McNiven, described the new release as “one of the most wanted Ardbegs ever”, while claiming it still retained the “perfect balance of wood smoke, citrus sweetness and salt”.
Ardbeg master blender Gillian MacDonald said: “This cask-strength Ardbeg Ten is a momentous celebration of our distillery’s classic style. Created by Dr. Bill [Lumsden] and myself from casks filled with new-make spirit at a higher-than-usual strength, it has all the flavors Committee members know and love, infused with a new intensity.
“Those who are lucky enough to lay their hands on a bottle will find aromas of toffee, tar, with classic notes of fennel and sea spray, and sweet sooty tastes of peat moss, malt and smoked cinnamon – amplified in an unforgettable dram.”
Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength will be available to Ardbeg Committee members from February 24, 2026, with a select few also available direct from the distillery, ardbeg.com
