Since its establishment in 1815, The Ardbeg distillery has been on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride of ownership changes, closures, and reopening. Stability was only achieved relatively recently, when the ailing distillery was purchased in 1997 by industry giants, Glenmorangie. The subsequent years have seen the distillery’s popularity swell, with fans enticed by the signature style of tarry, sooty smoke, balanced against citric sweetness and an oily mouthfeel. While Ardbeg still retains its distinctive personality, it has definitely been influenced by Glenmorangie’s propensity for experimenting with cask finishing, and (dare we say it) NAS expressions.

Supernova Stellar Release

Already known for being one of the peatier Islay malts, when Ardbeg decided to experiment with upping their peating level, they needed a name that positively bristled with power. What better namesake than Supernova? One of the most powerful, stellar phenomena in the universe!

Following hot on the heels of the Committee bottling, the Stellar Release went on general sale in 2009, boasting the same cosmic peating level of 100ppm.