We Ranked Every Ardbeg Day Special Release By Its Smokiness

Every year since Ardbeg’s iconic Alligator was created for Ardbeg Day, there has been an annual release. Mickey Heads, the distillery manager at Ardbeg, has been there for every single one but he has now announced his retirement. He will still be there for this year’s Ardbeg day release and we wait with anticipation to see what it is. In the meantime, we rank all of the non committee releases so far in reverse order with classic smoky Ardbeg in mind, so from subtle to smoke bomb.

Ardbeg is smoky by nature, so on a 1 to 20 scale of smoky whiskies Ardbeg starts at 10.

First of all, here is the list in order of release:

2011 – Alligator
2012 – Day
2013 – Ardbog
2014 – Auriverdes
2015 – Perpetuum
2016 - Dark Cove
2017 – Kelpie
2018 – Grooves
2019 – Drum 

The Ranking

 No.9 Auriverdes

Released in time for the football World Cup in Brazil. Auriverdes means gold and green, which are the colours of the Brazilian flag. Tasting Note: A lighter style of Ardbeg. Easy going sweet vanilla and lemons. There is still smoke, but it is not immediately identifiable as Ardbeg. Muscovado sugar and chocolate appear later in the palate.

ABV: 49.9%
Smoke rating: 10/20 
Buy now for £193

No.8 Drum

In the tradition of Ardbeg being an innovator, this whisky is firstly matured in ex bourbon casks, and extra matured in rum casks. Tasting note: Bonfire wood mixed with lots of ripe bananas and pineapples. Spices on the palate with ginger, liquorice and vanilla.

ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 12/20
Last auction Price: £70

No.7 Perpetuum

Created for the 200th anniversary of Ardbeg distillery, this whisky is a mixture of many cask types intended to give great complexity and harmony. Fresh citrus, toffee and figs head up a smoky background. There is a creamy mouthfeel and lots of dark chocolate.

ABV: 47.4%
Smoke rating: 13/20
But it now for £143

No.6 Grooves

Grooves is so named as the casks used were very well charred ex red wine casks which resulted in deep groves on the inside of the cask resulting in a greater surface area for the spirit to interact with. Tasting note: lots of American oak flavours of vanilla, toffee and popcorn. Salty savoury bacon with chilli, tempered with toffee apples. Old leather-bound books linger in the background.

ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 14/20
Buy now for £250

No.5 Day

Using sherry casks in the maturation gives waves of flavour through waves of smoke and peat. Still balanced, this whisky is made for peat heads who also love sherried whisky. Huge mouth feel, big and rich whisky, waves of peat and sherry wash over the palate. This whisky is full, rounded and luscious.

ABV: 56.7%
Smoke rating: 15/20
Buy now for £525

No.4 Kelpie

This whisky is named after the mythical animals of legend around Islay. Kelpies were shape shifting spirits which usually appeared as horses or ponies. But they were maleficent creatures, and although seeming tame, and particulary friendly to children, once mounted the rider would not be able to dismount and would be dragged to the bottom on the ocean or river and eaten.

ABV: 46%
Smoke rating: 16/20
Buy it now for £190

No.3 Ardbog

Matured in Manzanilla sherry casks, this whisky has a big smoky punch, but is sweetened by the extra maturation in sherry casks. Undeniably Ardbeg, big and smoky and very dry. Sweetness coming from raisins and there is an underlying rich nutty flavour.

ABV: 52.1%
Smoke rating: 16.5/20
Buy it now for £315

No.2 Dark Cove

This is the darkest Ardbeg day release and is a bit of a beast. You’ll either love it or hate it as the smoke is full on and the rich oily iodine nature of the whisky is very in your face. Underlying all that power are  lots of dried fruits such as raisins and dates. Smouldering charcoal and spice with beeswax bring you to smoked meats and salty seaweed.

ABV: 46.5%
Smoke rating: 17/20
But now for £262

No.1 Alligator

At first this expression split the whisky community. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Ardbeg but is also much more. The heavy char of the casks brings the peaty smoke right to the fore with the charred nature of the cask adding even more smokiness. But there is huge complexity too with lots of citrus in the form of grapefruit and lemon, with ginger and orange zest backing that up. There is also sweetness with ginger biscuits and icing sugar and cocoa in the background. Intense smoke runs throughout the dram.

ABV: 51.2%
Smoke rating: 18/20
Buy it now for £472

So why didn’t we go up to 20/20 you ask? Because there are even smokier whiskies than Ardbeg for example Octomore from Bruichladdich distillery, which, depending on the batch is more like a 30/20!

Top Picks: Our Favourite Vodkas Under £30

Words by Colin Hamdpen-White

There are many different vodkas and not all vodka is created equal. I judge on the World Vodka Awards and the best vodkas are the purest. The best vodka should have very little flavour, or none at all, but still retain some character. This is a neat trick, and the vodkas below manage to be pure, yet distinctive and interesting.

Black Cow

This was created in the west of England by Jason Barber, a farmer who uses only whole milk to make his vodka. The whey is used to make the vodka and the curds make his award-winning cheese. This vodka is very pure, and has a creamy, beautifully smooth mouthfeel.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy here: £24.75

Black Death

Tracing its history back to 1906, when it was created by the Sigurdsson family in Iceland, this vodka is now made in England from beets. It became world-known when, in 1992, it was banned for a while in the USA for “promising poison and plague but delivering only vodka”. It is very clean and crisp.

ABV: 37.5%
Size: 700ml
Buy here: £23.90

Aylesbury Duck

Although Aylesbury is in England, this vodka comes from California and uses Canadian soft winter wheat to give a crisp clean vodka with touches of citrus. When they reduce the vodka to bottling strength, they use water from a well in Mendocino county in northern California. Not sure what that does to help, but the vodka certainly tastes great!

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy here: £29.85

Three Sixty

This vodka comes from Germany and is made by the twelfth generation of the Schwarze und Schlitichte family whose business started in 1664. The vodka is exceptionally pure with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel. This is achieved by distilling the spirit four times after which it is filtered in the most decadent manner by passing it though a diamond dust before being bottled. It seems diamonds are a vodka’s best friend.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy here: £25

Vestal

This vodka is made by an Englishman in Poland. He has very fine single potato variety vodka but he also creates this blend of varieties for under £25 and thankfully is a brilliant vodka. Made from Asterix and Russet Burbank potatoes this vodka has lots of character. It has been created with mixing in mind and makes a fabulous Martini. It is distilled and filtered only once to retain the flavour and character of the potatoes.

ABV: 40%
Size: 700ml
Buy here: £25.95

4 Stunning Rums From Around The World

Words by Aidy Smith

This article was originally published in Oracle Time Magazine under Aidy’s Drinks Column. You can subscribe to the online magazine here to view online or order the magazine in print format.

I’ve always loved the word ‘rum’. Its three letters have such powerful connotations when you think about the history intertwined within them. From the age of piracy where rum barrels were traded for gold and plunder to the escapades of the British Navy, who upon capturing Jamaica in 1655 were given a daily ration to get by. Few know that in the 1600’s rum production was in fact the most powerful industry in America’s New England and that restrictions on imported molasses in the 1640’s may even have had a significant impact on the American Revolution!

It’s vibrant past has seen it transported around the globe from Colonial Australia and the various British dominated Isles to the shores of the Caribbean where it is more commonly known. But there are other far reaches of the globe where this bountiful spirit also calls home and my purpose today is to unravel a few of my favourite destinations along with my recommended choices, to help you set sail on your own voyage of rum discovery. 

So what exactly has been going on with rum? Despite its creative past, steeped in all forms of history, tales and triumphs, this wondrous drink slowly began to fade from the limelight over time. As other exciting categories made their way into the spotlight at the turn of the century, people began focusing on other categories and rum became more of an ‘exotic’ drink to indulge upon during those sunny getaways. Alas, the tides are once again changing and over the past 10 years rum, only behind gin, has seen the second largest growth in volume within the UK at 17% and between 2017-2018 witnessed a 7.5% increase in value. So with that in mind, let’s delve into a few of what, in my opinion, are some of the best rums from around the planet. 

The Philippines – Don Papa 

Few know that the Philippines is one of the largest sugar producing countries in the world and Don Papa is a prime example of the quality rums being produced here. 

Their molasses comes from ‘The Island of Negros’, also known as ‘Sugarlandia’ and derives from a purple cane known as ‘cara morada’. Attaining one of the highest sucrose and moisture contents in the world, the molasses, known as ‘Black Gold’ is packed full of distinct rich sweetness. Given the incredibly humid nature of the country, the barrels are incredibly important. Don Papa uses uniquely shaved, toasted and roasted American oak barrels, which are seasoned for 24 months before being lightly charred to give them more fruity flavours. The humidity itself is so intense, each barrel witnesses around 8-12% evaporation per year (i.e. it loses over half of the liquid in the barrel after 7 years). The result of which offers a beautifully rich and fruity rum with a dark golden hue. 

I was fortunate enough to visit the island a few years ago and can only describe the journey as one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve been through. To witness how rum is created in such harsh conditions and to see the quality speak for itself – this is why I chose journalism in this field. I do enjoy drinking the stuff too, I like to call it market research… which moves me on to the rum itself! Aged for 7 years, Don Papa is packed full of exotic apricots, raspberries and marmalade with a soothing burst of vanilla and cinnamon. I always like to think of fruitcake with candied citrus when sipping on Don Papa and boy oh boy does it work nicely in a rum punch and an old fashioned (otherwise known as the Don Fashioned)!

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy it Now For £32

Venezuela - Santa Teresa 1796

Founded in 1796 and located in the mountainous Aragua Valley, Hacienda Santa Teresa has witnessed wars, revolutions, invasions and dictators. In a country that see’s its fair amount of violence, Santa Teresa is the gleaming gem that showcases the true beauty of what this country has to offer. It was all down to a German man  named Gustav Julius Vollmer, who upon arriving in Venezuela in 1830, fell in love, married and thus began a family that to this day have continued to run the Hacienda, five generations later.  

The wondrous thing about Santa Teresa is its solera method, which I’ll touch upon for a second. A solera system is essentially where barrels are stacked in terms of their age, the oldest on the ground, the youngest at the top. As you draw liquid from the barrels at the bottom, it is replaced by those in the barrels above and over time there is a continuous mix of ages, which intertwine to create a truly personalised flavour to that distillery.  To this day, every Bottle of Santa Teresa 1796 has some of the very first 1796 cask running through it, given how the original cask was never emptied.

The resulting flavour combines hazelnuts, vanilla and cinnamon with dark chocolate, prunes and sticky honey with just a touch of black pepper to round off this incredible creation. I love sipping this rum on the rocks, you can really pick out every little detail of flavour.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Buy It Now £48

The Caribbean – Duppy Share Spiced Rum

I couldn’t write about rum and not pay homage to the Caribbean. After all, those glorious islands have paved way to what rum is today and inspired the image of so many drinks that have dared to enter the market. But when did it all begin on these islands? The first distillation is believed to have taken place on the Island of Nevis in the 1600’s, with a quote in 1651 from a historic document in Barbados stating “The chief fuddling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias Kill-Divil, and this is made of sugar canes distilled, a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor”. Suffice to say they’ve improved things quite a bit over the past 3 centuries. 

With the Caribbean home to 13 sovereign island nations, 12 dependent territories and over 7,000 individual islands, I couldn’t choose just one.  Instead, my pick from this oasis comes from both Worthy Park distillery in Jamaica and Four Square in Barbados. My tipple of choice here is none other than Duppy Share Spiced Rum, which touched my lips for the first time this morning, having only been released in late-February. 

Spiced rum is a category that excites me for many reasons and while there’s a few on the market only a small handful have managed to conquer great taste without an overbearing sweetness, Duppy Share being one of them. So, what about the name? Duppy Share is another term for ‘Angel’s Share’, the evaporation process that takes place within the rum barrels. Legend dictates that throughout the islands mischievous spirits called Duppies swoop between the distilleries, stealing the best of the rum. Possessed by the Caribbean rhythms, their bodies contort from creature to creature. The Duppy Share Spiced pays tribute to its namesake by centralising a duppy caught mid-metamorphosis. 

The craft rum itself offers a blend of spices brought together by a vibrant pineapple and rich kola nut. There’s caramel, ginger, white chocolate and vanilla with a touch of fresh grapefruit, orange and basil. I also find it rather versatile, meaning it would be the perfect match for mixing, whether it be with ginger ale, cola, or as part of a multitude of cocktails.

The best thing is, nothing is artificial, all flavours are 100% natural – just as the Caribbean intended.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 37.5%
Buy It: £39 from Selfridges

Mauritius – Penny Blue XO

Mauritius journey began in 1638, when Dutch settlers arrived on the islands, planting sugar cane. As crops flourished within the rich volcanic soils it made perfect sense for these to be turned into rum and arak. 

Produced at the oldest distillery on the island, Penny Blue is named after one of the world’s rarest stamps. I’ll admit, I’m really not quite sure how the misprinting of a stamp made its way to being the name of a rum, but at least the liquid inside tastes great!

 With this rum deriving from a single estate, they have a lot more control over every stage of the process. The sugar cane sits at one of the sunniest parts of the island with a lot less rainfall, making it juicer and full of flavour. The tropical ageing, sea breeze influence and their distillation method also have an affect on what ends up in the bottle too. That’s not even taking into account their triple oak ageing methods, as Penny Blue uses ex-cognac, ex-scotch and ex-bourbon casks to really intertwine the best flavours of each!

Only 10,000 bottles of the XO Batch #6 have been created and for those lucky enough to be able to get their hands on one, they can expect rich stewed tropical fruits with treackle, delicate spices and dark burnt toffee. 

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43.3%
Buy It Today For £41

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10 Cheap Whiskies That Taste Expensive

Words by Colin Hampden-White

There are whiskies out there that don’t cost very much at all and yet they taste like they cost a fortune. So that you don’t have to buy hundreds of bottles to find out which ones they are, we have done all the ‘hard’ work for you. Here’s a list of fabulous whiskies that taste incredible but don’t cost the earth, ordered from light and elegant to rich and smoky:

1: Glenmorangie Original

Top of the light and elegant list has to be Glenmorangie Original. This whisky isn’t even listed as a NAS (Non Age Statement) whisky. It is ten years old and 40% Vol. Since 1843 Glenmorangie have been perfecting a light, elegant fruity whisky with lots of orange and vanilla flavours.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £33.99 // US $52.99

2: Glen Moray Classic

Still light and fruity, but with a little more body there is Glen Moray Classic. With flavours of green apples and lemons, it is an easy going satisfying single malt from Speyside at 40% and is our favourite single malt under £30!

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £22.94 // US $34.99

3: Tomintoul

This whisky is from a distillery hardly anyone will have heard of. Tomintoul is a highland distillery which has an excellent 16 year old single malt at 40%. It is an elegant whisky with plenty of flavour including coffee, boiled sweets, almonds and melted butter with vanilla fudge and cream. This whisky is the best 16 year old at this price on the market.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £49.94 // US $64.99

4: Hunter Laing

Whiskies sold by the distilleries that make them tend to be more expensive than those released by independent bottlers. Independent companies bottle whiskies which are made all over Scotland, blend their own whiskies and represent incredible value and more often than not taste a great deal more expensive than they cost. My favourite independent blend is from Hunter Laing. Highland Journey is mixture of highland single malt whiskies and is a bold and complex malted blend at a great strength of 46.2%.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 46.2%
Find here: £32.99

5: Old Pulteney 12

For a rich, but spirit led whisky with lots of saline character from the far north of Scotland, Old Pulteney 12 is a whisky at 40% which punches way above its price tag. It’s more difficult to get your hands on now but you can still pick up a bottle for under £30 and it tastes like double that.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £25.99

6: Glenfiddich 15

For a whisky which has a more sherried character, Glenfiddich 15 is about as good as it gets for bang for buck. It’s a powerful whisky with spices and sweetness all rolled into one. There is a good amount of oak on the palate making the whisky seem older than it is and at 40% for under £45 it is a bargain waiting to be savoured.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £47.69

7: Roe and Co

Whisky doesn’t have to come from Scotland, and some of the best tasting whiskies come from Ireland. A new whisky to Ireland is Roe and Co. Made with a high proportion of first fill bourbon casks with grain and malt whisky this tastes well above its price tag of a touch under £30. It is non chill filtered to keep more flavour and at 45% it is perfect for mixing!

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 45%
Find here: UK £29.88 // US $32.99

8: Johnnie Walker Black Label

Touching on the world of smokey whisky, this whisky is the best value on the list. It is a blend and has a bit of everything. It has an age statement of 12 years old but there are much older whiskies in the blend too so the taste has a hint of aged whiskies to it. There is a mix of sherry and bourbon oak casks blended to give lots of complexity and a hint of smoke as well. A favourite for many in the whisky industry Johnnie Walker Black Label at 40% is as good as it gets. For our UK followers, it can be found for only £20 at the moment (09.11.21) on Amazon.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £26.89 // US $33.99

9: Dailuaine 16

For the last two we have some slightly more expensive drams, but they too taste like they should cost well above their price band. The first is Dailuaine 16 from the Flora and Fauna range from Diageo. This whisky is complex and full bodied yet smooth and rich. Lots of dried fruit flavours and very well integrated oaky flavours which one expects to find in whiskies much older than this. It is at 43%. Expect to pay a little under £60 for this delicious dram.

Size: 700ml
ABV: 43%
Find here: £57.90

10: Ardbeg An Oa

Whiskies from Islay tend to cost a little more. There is a huge following for peated whiskies and finding those whiskies which have lots of smoke, but also rich fruity flavours and spice is tricky and can be expensive. However, An Oa from Ardbeg has all of those characteristics, it still has the punchy smoky flavours one expects from Ardbeg, but there is sweetness and balance to it too and at 46.6% the strength is good too.

Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
ABV: 46.6%
Find here: UK £41.99 // US $58.99

*This article was originally published in March 2020 and has now been updated (Sept 2022) to reflect the current change in prices. For more whisky goodness, why not check out The Best Japanese Whiskies to Try or The Best Whiskies in the World