Ardbeg unveils €25,000 The Abyss
Moët Hennessy-owned Ardbeg distillery has unveiled a limited edition bottling inspired by the 2008 Committee release of Corryvreckan.
Ardbeg The Abyss is a 34-year-old single malt finished in heavily toasted French oak casks. The Abyss is closely linked to the 2008 Committee release of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, which was distilled in 1989 and aged for 10 years in Bourbon casks before being finished in ‘ultra-active’ heavily toasted French oak barrels. While most casks were used for the 2008 release, a few were kept at the distillery to ‘explore the intense new flavours which would emerge with extra ageing’.'= The Abyss was born from these ‘unrepeatable’ casks. Presented in a sleek, futuristic silver capsule, Ardbeg The Abyss ‘draws drinkers deep into swirls of toasted marshmallows and tea leaves, while notes of dark chocolate, pecan, leather, and creosote circle nearby’. “Ardbeg The Abyss is the stuff of Ardbeggian legend. Formed from the rare heart of that original, sought-after 2008 limited release of Corryvreckan, this 34-year-old whisky has been transported by time into a new world of flavour,” said Dr Bill Lumsden, director of whisky creation at Ardbeg. “Held in a tiny handful of those rare, heavily toasted French oak casks, its 400 bottles contain mysterious depths of toasted marshmallows, dark chocolate, pecan nuts and leather – a rare taste of an Ardbeg icon revived and reimagined.” The Abyss will be available through the distillery's website, at the visitor centre on Islay, and the Moët Hennessy Private Client channel worldwide. The limited release is 48% ABV and sold in 700ml bottles for €25,000 (US$27,190 / £21,250). The legend of Prince Breacan Ardbeg has partnered with acclaimed American comic book author and artist Tradd Moore to celebrate the revival of a legend in The Abyss. The comic set on ‘Planet Ardbeg’ is available in print exclusively with the release’s 400 numbered bottles. Corryvreckan is named after the fathomless whirlpool north of Ardbeg’s Scottish island home. According to legend, the Viking prince Breacan anchored his ship for three days and nights to win the hand of the Lord of the Isles’ daughter. However, he was lost to its watery depths. Tradd breathes new life into Breacan in his graphic novel, as the prince traverses space and time to be reborn as The Abyss on Planet Ardbeg, mirroring the whisky’s journey into new flavour dimensions. “When I visited Islay, everything felt holistic: the island itself, the people, the stories. From visiting the whirlpool to trying to swirl whisky in the glass, it all felt interconnected. I’m a big fan of mythology and as soon as I heard the legend of Corryvreckan, I just knew I wanted to reflect The Abyss’s mysterious depths through the story of Prince Breacan. On his journey into mystery, he sees the abyss, enters the unknown and is swept up and surprised by what he finds,” said Tradd. In addition to The Abyss, the distillery will also release 1,000 limited edition bottles of the core range Ardbeg Corryvreckan, featuring four individual label designs by Moore. The limited release bottles will be available exclusively from the distillery visitor centre on Islay from June. The Abyss is the latest addition to the Ardbeg range of limited-edition bottlings, joining this year’s releases, Ardbeg Spectacular Fèis Ìle 2024 and 23-year-old Vintage Y2K.
