Ardbeg celebrates committee’s 25th anniversary

The Glenmorangie Company has released a limited edition Ardbeg bottling, called Eureka!, to celebrate its dedicated fanbase's 25th anniversary.

Available only to Ardbeg whisky club members, the new edition displays flavours of dark chocolate, cinnamon, briny seaweed, and smoke, which apparently gave the distillery team a 'eureka moment'. The committee was created in February 2000 by a few committed Ardbeg enthusiasts, who aimed to prevent the distillery from closing again after many years of uncertainty. Today, after 25 years since its creation, the committee has 200,000 members from more than 140 countries. The new release was inspired by a blind tasting attended by 100 members from 15 countries on Ardbeg Day 2023. The tasting, named Operation Smokescreen, featured five 'extreme' whiskies from the distillery. After the tasting, Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s director of whisky creation, and master blender Gillian Macdonald took the findings back to their sensory laboratory to craft a bottling representing the committee’s multi-faceted preferences. Eureka! is a combination of whiskies aged in Pedro Ximénez Sherry and roasted malt spirit matured in Bourbon casks. Macdonald commented: “Operation Smokescreen was a brilliant opportunity to get inside the minds of the Ardbeg Committee – and has inspired our most bespoke committee bottling yet. "With its medley of flavours, from cherries and red apples to briny seaweed and bonfires, topped with cinnamon and raisin fudge, Ardbeg Eureka! is packed with a variety of flavours inspired by our eclectic group of committee members’ tastes, who are united by their love of Ardbeg’s smoky and fruity balance. "There was a real eureka moment when, after countless experiments, Dr Lumsden and I landed upon the perfect recipe.” Offered at 52.2% ABV, Ardbeg Eureka! is available on the brand's website exclusively to committee members for £72 (US$90) from today (6 February), with a small amount available directly from the distillery for visitors. Jackie Thomson, committee chair and visitor centre manager of Ardbeg Distillery, said: “The committee have been the lifeblood of Ardbeg for a quarter of a century – you won’t find a more passionate bunch of smoky malt lovers anywhere else. "Ardbeg Eureka! is an exuberant reward for our members’ dedication. Slàinte mhath to 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee.” Last month, The Glenmorangie Company opened bookings for its new Ardbeg House hotel, set to open on Islay in autumn 2025. During Storm Éowyn on 24 January 2025, the distillery suffered damage to its roof and sea wall.