There once was a whisky called Ardbeg Corryvreckan Limited Edition. Deep at the heart of that whisky was spirit matured in heavily toasted French oak casks. These were the casks that gave that legendary whisky its hair-raising power.
Only a handful of those historic casks survive to this day. The last remnants of an iconic favourite. Now they return as Ardbeg The Abyss – an exceptionally rare whisky bottled at cask strength 48.4% ABV, and limited to only 400 bottles.
To celebrate this extraordinary moment, we have collaborated with acclaimed comic book artist Tradd Moore to create a limited edition comic to sit alongside the very rare ‘heart of Corryvreckan’ whisky from 1989.
A whisky reborn. Its legend retold. Ardbeg The Abyss is destined to become a legend in its own right. Never to be repeated.
Colour: Deep autumn sunset
Aroma: Rich, pungent and aromatic, but mellow, deep and gentle at the same time. Aromas of toasting marshmallows, aromatic tea leaves, roasted chestnut and baking sourdough bread draw you in, with something altogether zestier circling nearby, like lemon balsam. There is a lingering, background sweetness, like demerara sugar, and then a whiff of antique leather. A splash of water opens up the bouquet to reveal more herbal top notes, with a whisper of lemon sherbet and pine resin.
Taste: A wonderfully mellow mouthfeel with a hint of spiciness, which takes a dramatic turn when bold new flavours enter: dark chocolate, pecan nut toffee, old leather, clove, ginger and a touch of treacle and creosote. The smoke is always there, beautifully entwined with the oak tannins.
Finish: On the aftertaste, enticing hints of baked apple, aniseed and oak.
Ardbeg The Abyss is presented as no whisky has ever been presented before. The whisky and the comic book sit alongside each other within a unique casing, itself inspired by the whirlpool at the heart of the story and the dramatic twists and turns of the whisky’s flavours.
Complete with port holes, gauges and a masterfully-engineered locking mechanism, this extraordinary space-capsule-meets-diving-chamber is itself a journey of discovery and hidden depths.
