Ardbeg Dark Cove

Ardbeg Dark Cove

Harking back to Islays dark illicit past, with tales of smugglers plying their trade under the cover of darkness, this Ardbeg claims to be the darkest ever bottled. This release, while bottled at a lower ABV than the Committee Release, Dark Cove is a limited-edition whisky released on 28 May in honour of Ardbeg Day 2016 the distillerys open day as part of the yearly Islay Festival. Matured in a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks, this is smoky and spicy with a hint of sweetness.

Ardbeg Dark Cove is matured in ex-bourbon and “dark Sherry casks” for “The Darkest Ardbeg Ever”. If the Committee Release is anything to go by (which it is), then the hue isnt actually terribly dark, but those dark casks provide plenty of oaky depth. Undoubtedly a terrific single malt, there are interesting comparisons to be made with the partly Oloroso matured Uigeadail.