Ardbeg Anamorphic was a Distillery Committee Release from 2023 that the brand described as being Ardbeg "turned upside down and inside out". The Islay whisky makers removed the cask heads and scored them deeply to expose more wood during the intense “high mocha” toasting process to temper its briny overtones, ramp up its hidden chocolatey sweetness and magnify the sensations of mocha. It was bottled non-chill filtered at 48.2%.
This bottle was part of a private collection - if you'd like more detailed photos just get in touch!
Earthy, dusty, and slightly biscuity on the nose, this is a most curious Ardbeg, almost from an alternative universe. The sooty/tarry notes are clear but restrained, and are balanced out by some silky vanilla. Water opens up a myriad of herbal and floral notes- smoked etiver root, aniseed, fennel, chrysanthemum and jasmine, to name but a few.
The mouthfeel is peppery and warming, and precedes an explosion of fiery, spicy flavours – chili – flavoured chocolate, bitter sweet mocha, briar wood, birch tar, ground black pepper and smoked artichokes.
The sooty/tarry notes build up to a crescendo of rich, smoky flavours, with an incredible, lingering aftertaste of charcoal bitter almonds and molasses.
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