For The Love Of Peat: Ardbeg Announces Its Newest Scotch Release

If you like your scotch smoky then you are undoubtedly familiar with Ardbeg. The legendary single malt producer on the southeastern coast of Islay, Scotland, is commonly associated with some of the peatiest whisky on the planet. Today the brand announces the release of Wee Beastie — a permanent addition to its core range.

The new bottling, distinguished from its brethren by a red-foiled top, bears an age statement of just 5 years. In order for scotch to be labeled as such, it must rest in the barrel for a minimum of three. Yet it is quite uncommon for any whisky from this part of the world to wear a number in the single digits. Against industry norms, Ardbeg is going out of its way to brag about the relative youth of this expression.

Why? Because of the peat. The boggy earth—vegetation decomposed over thousands of years—is used as a heat source to dry the malt responsible for this category of whisky. As it burns during the process (known as malting), it imparts phenolic compounds upon the grain that are still strong even after distillation. The only way to mellow out these unctuous undertones is through a lengthy maturation in oak.

With Wee Beastie, Dr. Bill Lumsden—Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation—is dialing up those elements, by design. This is a full-flavored liquid he intended to be ‘feisty’ and ‘untamed by age’.

“I’m in no doubt that [peat-lovers] will love this tongue-tingling expression,” he says. “The casks chosen for its creation make it ideal for enjoying neat or as the mouth-watering main ingredient in a powerfully smoky cocktail.” 

The casks of which he speaks are a careful selection of ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts. Rather than drowning out the intense medicinal notes at its core, the chosen wood merely elongates them with edges of cracked pepper, pine sap and tar. It finishes with oily hints of smoked meat; a faint sense of salinity lurking in the fade. If you’re new to the style, these tasting notes might seem somewhat off-putting. Peatheads, meanwhile, are already licking their lips.

Wee Beastie is set to retail at $44 when it hits shelves this spring. At that price point it’s something that can be enjoyed neat yet won’t be too decadent in a mixed option. Consider it at the base of a scotch sour, or to add aromatic delight to a Penicillin. Introduce some chimney fire into a Blood and Sand by subbing it in for the more traditional blended scotch. Bottled at 47.4% ABV, it becomes the fifth label in Ardbeg’s everyday lineup, alongside the flagship 10 Year Old, An Oa, Uigeadail, and the barrel-strength Corryvreckan.