Eureka! marks twenty five years of the Ardbeg Committee, and its origin story is unusually literal. In 2023 the distillery invited a group of its most committed Committee members to the West Maltings on Islay to take part in a top secret experiment called Operation Smokescreen. They were not told what it was for. What they were actually doing was shaping the recipe of this whisky, and the release places them at the centre of both the liquid and the storytelling. The construction is a marriage of two quite different components. Pedro Ximénez sherry casks contribute the dark, sweet, unctuous end of the spectrum, PX being the richest of the sherry styles and the one that brings raisin, fig and treacle rather than the drier nuttiness of Oloroso. Against that sits roasted malt spirit matured in bourbon casks, a nod to the roasted malt experiments the distillery has run before, adding coffee, cocoa and a bitter edge that stops the sherry sweetness running away with it. Bottled at cask strength, 52.2 percent alcohol by volume, non chill filtered. The nose is rich and fruity, with cherry and juicy red apple over caramel infused coffee grounds, cocoa powder, heather bonfire smoke and sweet tobacco leaf. The palate explodes with nut toffee brittle, raisin fudge and dark fruit, fig and damson, balanced by a salinity like salted crispy seaweed, then dark chocolate coated raisin into chicory and sweet cinnamon. The finish is long and chewy, with treacle toffee, aniseed spice, coal tar soap and burning embers. Drink it neat, then add water.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
52.2% |
| Proof |
104.4 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
Scotland |
| Region |
Islay |
| Category |
Single Malt Scotch Whisky |
| Expression |
Eureka!, Committee Release |
| Year Bottled |
2025 |
| Occasion |
25 Years of the Ardbeg Committee, 2000 to 2025 |
| Maturation |
Pedro Ximénez sherry casks married with roasted malt spirit matured in bourbon casks |
| Age |
No age statement |
| Filtration |
Non chill filtered |
| Colour |
Natural, no added colouring |
| Distillery |
Ardbeg Distillery Limited, established 1815 |
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep amber gold, natural and uncoloured, drawn from PX sherry wood.
Nose: Rich and fruity, with cherry and juicy red apple over caramel infused coffee grounds, cocoa powder, heather bonfire smoke and sweet tobacco leaves.
Palate: An explosion of sweetness, with nut toffee brittle, raisin fudge and dark fruits including fig and damson, balanced by a salinity like salted crispy seaweed, then dark chocolate coated raisin, chicory and sweet cinnamon.
Finish: Long and chewy, with sweet treacle toffee, aniseed spice, coal tar soap and burning embers holding on.
FAQ
What proof is Ardbeg Eureka!? It is bottled at cask strength, 104.4 proof or 52.2 percent alcohol by volume, non chill filtered.
What is it celebrating? Twenty five years of the Ardbeg Committee, running from 2000 to 2025. It opened the anniversary year of releases.
What was Operation Smokescreen? A secret experiment held at the distillery's West Maltings in 2023, in which selected Committee members took part without knowing they were helping shape this whisky.
What casks was it matured in? A marriage of Pedro Ximénez sherry casks with roasted malt spirit matured in bourbon casks. PX contributes raisin, fig and treacle richness while the roasted malt component brings coffee and cocoa.
How does it differ from Ardbeg Smokiverse? Both mark the Committee's 25th anniversary in 2025, but Smokiverse was the Ardbeg Day release at 48.3 percent built on high gravity mashing, while Eureka! is the Committee Exclusive at 52.2 percent built on PX sherry and roasted malt.
Where can I buy Ardbeg Eureka! online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
