Ardbeg fans, rejoice! The Islay distillery has unveiled a cask-strength edition of its flagship Ardbeg Ten single malt whisky. The new expression, created for the brand’s fan club, the Ardbeg Committee, will be available online from February 24, 2026, bottled at 61.7% ABV.
The release answers long-standing requests from Ardbeg Committee members for a higher-proof version of the distillery’s classic 10-year-old expression.
A highly limited cask-strength edition was previously released in Japan in 2003, making it a coveted bottling among Ardbeg lovers, and intensifying the cries for a more domestically available cask-strength version of the 10-year-old whisky.
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READ THE STORYThis new iteration was developed by Ardbeg’s whisky creation team, led by director of distilling and whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden.
The team hand-selected American oak ex-bourbon casks for the maturation, including experimental barrels that were filled with undiluted spirit at an unusually high strength.
The resulting Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength gives off aromas of “toffee, tar and creosote, coffee grounds and sea spray,” followed by vanilla, lime, fennel, and bonfire smoke.
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On the palate, drinkers can expect the full power of Ardbeg, with waves of smoke – “soot, tar, creosote, peat smoke, and woodmoss”. These smoky notes are balanced by “gentle malty or biscuity flavour,” with Ardbeg’s trademark mentholic and medicinal notes on the finish.
The launch of the Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength marks the first Committee release unveiled during the tenure of the new co-chairs, master blender Gillian MacDonald and distillery manager Bryony McNiven.
Gillian MacDonald, master blender and Committee co-chair, said: “This cask-strength Ardbeg Ten is a momentous celebration of our Distillery’s classic style.”
She continued: “Created by Dr Bill and myself from casks filled with new-make spirit at a higher-than-usual strength, it has all the flavours Committee members know and love, infused with a new intensity.”
“Those who are lucky enough to lay their hands on a bottle will find aromas of toffee, tar, with classic notes of fennel and sea spray, and sweet sooty tastes of peat moss, malt and smoked cinnamon – amplified in an unforgettable dram. Slàinte to our Committee!”
Bryony McNiven, distillery manager and Committee co-chair, added: “Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength is arguably one of the most wanted Ardbegs ever. It’s fantastic to finally be sharing it with the Committee. What a dram – a perfect balance of wood smoke, citrus sweetness and salt.”
Ardbeg Ten Cask Strength will be available exclusively to Ardbeg Committee members via Ardbeg.com with a recommended retail price of £75 (~US$102) starting February 24. A small number of bottles will also be sold at the Islay distillery.
The Ardbeg Committee was established in 2000 to safeguard the distillery’s legacy after a period of uncertainty and closures in the 1980s and 1990s.
Today, the fan club has more than 200,000 members in over 140 countries who are often consulted on new expressions and offered exclusive bottlings.
Ardbeg is part of The Glenmorangie Company, which is owned by Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of LVMH.
