Ardbeg Auriverdes A Game Of Two Halves

It's that time of year again where whisky lovers the world over eagerly anticipate the yearly Ardbeg Limited Edition release that coincides with Ardbeg Day, the global celebration of all things alcoholic, liquid, and stamped with Ardbeg on the bottle! This year's release, entitled Ardbeg Auriverdes, is on the 31st of May, and it seems the distillery has been caught up in World Cup fever.

Unless you have been living in a cave the last few years, you’ll know that this year's World Cup is being held in Brazil (clearly the best conditions for the England team…). It just so happens that Brazil's very successful national team's nickname is Auriverdes—"auri" for gold/yellow and "verde" for green. This handily works equally well for Ardbeg, with their delicious golden liquid and trademark green bottle. Not one to be outdone by something as insignificant as the World Cup, Ardbeg is also running its own Peat Football Tournament this summer.

The whisky follows the hugely popular 2013 Galileo release, which won the title of "World's Best Single Malt," so expectations should be high for Auriverdes. The liquid has been matured in American oak casks with specially toasted cask lids made specifically for this release. The toasting technique has given the whisky a distinctive flavour profile, with the lids producing a mocha coffee flavour at one end, flowing into creamy vanilla at the other. This is certainly no accident, as Ardbeg is pitching Auriverdes (bottled at 49.9%) as a dram of two halves (yes, more football-focused marketing!).

Official Ardbeg Auriverdes Tasting Notes

Nose: Tarry and herbal notes with hints of mocha.

Palate: Coffee grounds pass to smoked root vegetables, while maple-cured bacon collides with hot-smoked salmon.

Finish: A lingering, smoky vanilla note.

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As an Ardbeg Embassy store, we will have Auriverdes for sale on Saturday, the 31st of March. It will only be available for sale to Ardbeg Committee Members who come into the store on that date (not online, sorry!). It is vital that you bring your membership number with you on the day—no excuses!

Any surplus bottles remaining after the weekend will go on general sale on Monday, the 2nd of June. It is possible to contact us directly and have your name placed on a reserve list.