First whisky in Ardbeg’s Anthology muddles smoke with sweetness

LVMH’s inaugural release in its Ardbeg Anthology will be The Harpy’s Tale, a whisky aged for 13 years in ex-Bourbon and Sauternes wine casks.

The Islay distillery’s first experimental and rare release for the collection is a “hybrid” style that is “smoky-sweet” and “characterised by a tussle between powerful smoke and rich sweetness” and is being brought to market by Ardbeg which is owned by The Glenmorangie Company, part of LVMH.

The expression, which takes inspiration from the fabled half-human and half-bird ‘Harpy’ – a winged beast from ancient mythology, is the first in the new Anthology Collection: a range of experimental single malts from Ardbeg, each matured in cask types that are completely new to the distillery.

Speaking about the whisky, The Glenmorangie Company’s director of distilling and whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden, said: “We have embarked on a bold maturation experiment to fuse Ardbeg’s signature smokiness with more nuanced, sweeter notes for our new release The Harpy’s Tale – resulting in a very unusual and complex breed of Ardbeg. This is a dram that represents a battle between sweet and smoke – one I believe fans are yet to experience in an Ardbeg dram, and one that I’m sure they will be excited to taste for themselves.

Lumsden explained: “Collectively, the whiskies in the Anthology Collection will form a legendary, perfectly balanced and delicious series of rare and unusual Ardbegs, rich in both lore and taste. We look forward to revealing more in the Collection in the near future.”

The 46% ABV whisky will be priced at £141 via Ardbeg.com as well as being available in Ardbeg Embassies, at the Distillery Visitor Centre on Islay and selected whisky specialists.