Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old Scotch Whisky Southern

“A classic Islay nose of barbecue coals, worn leather, sea spray, and preserved lemon introduce this fierce, young whisky. Despite its youth, this dram has no rough edges and complementing the wild peat flavors the palate reveals notes of sweet grain and finishes quite gracefully.” 97 Points, 2021 Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Years Old has been matured in a combination of ex Bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts, and has been bottled non chill-filtered at 47.4% ABV. Wee Beastie’s relative youth harks back to the (now very collectable) Ardbeg Very Young, Still Young and Almost There expressions from the early 2000s, which exhibited the distillery’s distinctive peated style at young ages and tracked the spirit’s evolution into the Ardbeg 10 Years Old.

Regarding the Wee Beastie release, Ardbeg’s director of whisky creation Dr Bill Lumsden said: “I’m in no doubt that Ardbeggians will love this tongue-tingling expression. The casks chosen for its creation make it ideal for enjoying neat or as the mouth-watering main ingredient in a powerfully smoky cocktail.”

Mickey Heads, Ardbeg’s soon-to-retire distillery manager, said: “A new permanent expression in the core range is always momentous for the Distillery, but Wee Beastie is a particularly special dram. As it’s a younger whisky, it means we’re able to get as close to the still as possible. So it’s safe to say this is a ferociously good wee nip!”