Ardbeg releases three limited edition single malts in Malaysia, now available exclusively at Hank’s, showcasing experimental production methods, bespoke cask design, and the final chapter of its 19-year-old Traigh Bhan series.
Islay distillery Ardbeg has introduced three limited edition single malt whiskies to the Malaysian market, each reflecting a different strand of the distillery’s experimental and small-batch philosophy. The expressions are available exclusively at Hank’s outlets nationwide, marking one of the more focused releases from Ardbeg’s Maison portfolio in recent years.
Known for its assertively peated house style, Ardbeg has long balanced tradition with technical experimentation. These three bottlings – Ardbeg Smokiverse, Ardbeg Anthology: The Beithir’s Tale (15 Years Old), and Ardbeg 19 Years Old – Traigh Bhan Batch 7 – underline that approach, ranging from mash innovation to cask development and extended maturation.
Ardbeg Smokiverse
Released to coincide with Ardbeg Day during Fèis Ìle, Islay’s annual Festival of Music and Malt, Smokiverse also marks 25 years of the Ardbeg Committee. More significantly from a production standpoint, it is the distillery’s first whisky made using a high-gravity mash.
In simple terms, the whisky creation team reduced the amount of water used during mashing, increasing the density of the wort. According to Ardbeg, this intensified flavour-active acetate esters, resulting in a fruit-forward profile layered over the distillery’s signature peat smoke. The spirit was matured in bourbon casks.
Dr Bill Lumsden MBE, Ardbeg’s Director of Whisky Creation, described the release as a technical step forward: “The first whisky we have ever made with a high-gravity mash, Ardbeg Smokiverse takes our single malt’s classic peaty character to a new frontier of flavour. By ramping up the density of our wort to new heights, we’ve drawn in fruitier, sweeter flavours from the deepest corners of the mash tun.”
Official tasting notes reference muscovado sugar, ripe barley, toasted sourdough bread, and tropical fruit layered against sweet peat smoke. While Ardbeg has explored unusual cask types and finishes before, Smokiverse focuses squarely on process innovation at the mash stage – a less visible but arguably more fundamental part of whisky production.
Ardbeg Anthology: The Beithir’s Tale (15 Years Old)
The Beithir’s Tale concludes Ardbeg’s Anthology trilogy, following The Harpy’s Tale and The Unicorn’s Tale. The series pairs classic Ardbeg stock with more experimental maturation to produce what the distillery calls sweet and smoky “hybrids.”
This 15-year-old release is the first Ardbeg matured in what the brand terms designer bourbon casks. These bespoke casks were air-seasoned rather than kiln-dried, heavily toasted, and lightly charred, a combination intended to encourage creamier, fuller flavours without overwhelming the distillate.
Master Blender Gillian Macdonald said, “We are always pushing the boundaries of Ardbeg to discover even more flavour combinations. The sweet and smoky ‘hybrids’ of Ardbeg Anthology are as experimental as they come.”
Named after a serpentine creature from Scottish folklore, The Beithir’s Tale is described as weaving vanilla and smoked butter through Ardbeg’s familiar notes of peat smoke, fennel, eucalyptus, and pine. It has received strong competition results, including a Spirit Gold Outstanding (98 points) at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 2025 and a gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge.
For collectors who have followed the Anthology series, this bottling closes the trilogy with a more overtly sweet profile, while retaining the medicinal edge that defines the distillery.
Ardbeg 19 Years Old – Traigh Bhan Batch 7
Batch 7 marks the final annual release of Ardbeg’s 19-year-old Traigh Bhan series. Named after the “Singing Sands” beach on Islay, the expression has been bottled in limited batches over the past seven years, each showing subtle variation while maintaining what Ardbeg calls its “impossible balance.”
This concluding batch was matured in a combination of bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, with a higher proportion of first-fill sherry casks than in previous releases. The result, according to the distillery, is a richer, more sherry-forward profile.
Master Blender Gillian Macdonald noted, “Each batch of Ardbeg Traigh Bhan reveals unique variations in the whisky, while still maintaining its ‘impossible’ balance – and Batch 7 is no exception.” She added that the higher ABV of 50.3 percent – compared to 46.2 percent in earlier batches – was chosen to intensify character for the final release.
Tasting notes reference salted toffee, espresso, ginger, cumin, and warming spice, layered over classic Ardbeg aromas of coal dust, citrus peel, mint, and medicinal smoke. For long-time followers of the series, Batch 7 represents the closing chapter of a modern Ardbeg staple.
Also available at Hank’s is Ardbeg 19 Years Old – Traigh Bhan Batch 6, matured in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, and described as leaning more heavily toward refill bourbon influence, with olive oil, baking bread, soot, dark chocolate, and peppermint among its key notes.
Across the four expressions, Ardbeg’s focus is clear: technical experimentation, deliberate cask design, and small-batch variation rather than high-volume consistency. Available at 50 Hank’s outlets nationwide and via the Grab app, the collection offers Malaysian enthusiasts access to some of the distillery’s more distinctive recent releases.
Whisky aficionados, take note: The 2026 edition of WhiskyPLUS, Malaysia’s premier whisky and spirits tasting event, will be on Saturday, August 15! Visit www.whiskyplus.my for details.
