Of all the Scotch distilleries on the isle of Islay, none have quite the cult-like reputation that Ardbeg does. Like many other distilleries, Ardbeg has a free membership club for its fans; theirs is called the Ardbeg Committee. Every year Ardbeg sends at least one committee bottling to the states at cask strength and then shortly thereafter at a lower proof.

One bit of housekeeping before we move on: I received a sample compliments of Ardbeg and their PR agency in exchange for my honest feedback and review. While life would be much easier if I was on the take like a dirty cop, I’m not, and all my reviews are honest. The presence or absence of a media sample never affects the outcome. That said, I need a drink…

For 2022 one of those releases is Ardbeg Hypernova, described as “the smokiest Ardbeg ever”, this release is 51% ABV and is non-chill filtered. While this is officially a non-age-stated release, one thing we know for certain is that it is definitely on the younger side. This is due to the fact that as whisky ages it loses phenols (the chemical compound that is found in peat smoke that gives the product its smoky flavour and aroma). Since we know this is “the smokiest Ardbeg ever”, it’s safe to say that there are a lot of phenols present.

Appearance: In the glass, this whisky presents as a pale yellow, almost like oversaturated lemonade.

Nose: The nose starts with an aroma that can only be described as beef tallow, which gives way to heavily roasted malt to the point that it’s almost like cocoa Krispies. The peat is very mellow and melds well with the earthy “dankness” of this whisky.

Palate: The palate starts with that same earthy “dankness” present in the aromatics. Following that is a lemony-ness reminiscent of a less sweet lemon bar. There is a very mellow peat here and it would be a great choice to introduce someone to Islay Peated Malt Whisky. Delicate and approachable, lots of confectionary flavours in this release. A touch of cardamom and graham cracker crumb finish out the palate.

I personally love smoky whisky and was very excited to try the Hypernova. While it’s still a delicious Ardbeg, for me, this was not that smoky. In fact, in my honest opinion, the Ardbeg Uigeadaily or Corryvreckan are smokier/peatier expressions and are much easier to get hold of.