This range takes single cask bottlings from Islay’s distilleries and labels them based on the Periodic Table of Elements. In this case, “Ar4” means it’s the 4th cask from Ardbeg to be bottled in the series.

The nose has that great Ardbeg peatiness toned down just a bit, along with hints of tar and creosote, but touches of banana, coconut, apricot, and vanilla come out over time as well. The taste is smoky, peaty, classic Ardbeg in style, with intense campfire smoke, touches of dark chocolate, honey, vanilla, and a hint of coconut underneath. The finish is long and smoky, and Ardbeg fans will love this whisky. (July, 2014)