Ardbeg has unveiled Ardbeg Dolce, a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky with a malt aged in Marsala dolce casks, as the centerpiece of this year’s global Ardbeg Day celebration. The annual event will take place on Saturday, May 30, at the Islay distillery and at Committee events worldwide.
Ardbeg Dolce combines rare malt matured in Marsala dolce casks — the sweetest style of Sicily’s fortified wine — with classic bourbon cask-matured Ardbeg. The release amplifies the distillery’s signature “peaty paradox,” its trademark balance of sweetness and smoke.
The whisky will be available from Ardbeg Embassies, whisky specialists, online retailers, and the Distillery Visitor Centre. Ardbeg Committee members will have early access to purchase the bottling on ardbeg.com on May 26, four days ahead of the official release on May 30. The recommended retail price is £85.
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READ THE STORYGillian Macdonald, Master Blender and Co-Chair of the Ardbeg Committee, said: “Uniting whisky matured in Marsala dolce casks and classic Ardbeg, Ardbeg Dolce is a dramatic blend of Mediterranean sweetness and Islay peat. Sweet notes of apricot, marmalade and dark chocolate rub shoulders with salty, smoky flavours and roasted nutty tones. Enjoy this limited edition in a Sicilian courtyard, on rain-drenched Scottish island or wherever you are. We think it’ll be an instant classic.”
Official tasting notes from the brand describe aromas of sun-ripened oranges and apricots. Flavors of dark chocolate appear alongside olive groves, then cut to soft smoke and salted nuts.
Ardbeg Day is held annually on the final Saturday of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt, known as Fèis Ìle. This year’s festivities will draw on the iconic style of 1960s Italian cinema, blending Mediterranean glamour with the rugged authenticity of Islay. Attendees will sample Italian delicacies with Islay hints, taste the limited edition, play retro games, and dance to medleys of Mediterranean street music and Scottish folk.
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Bryony McNiven, Distillery Manager and Committee Co-Chair, said: “For smoky malt lovers, life doesn’t get much sweeter than on Ardbeg Day. And this year, we’re celebrating the sweet life Islay-style. It’s time to dial up the 1960s spirit and enjoy ‘la dolce Islay’!”
Ardbeg Day has become one of the most anticipated dates on the global whisky calendar since its inception, regularly drawing thousands of fans to Islay and to satellite events in major cities around the world. Each year’s release is typically a limited edition expression that generates significant demand among collectors and enthusiasts.
Smoky malt fans can join the Ardbeg Committee for updates on Ardbeg Day 2026 and future releases.
