Ardbeg has announced Seasmoke, a new cask strength expression that debuts an approach never used before on Islay: the first mash is made with seawater drawn directly from the shore in front of the distillery.
Release details
Seasmoke is bottled at 50.8% vol., non chill-filtered, in standard 700 ml format. There is no age statement, and the cask types used for maturation have not been disclosed. The first confirmed distribution is the US market, but a UK and European rollout through Ardbeg’s usual channels is expected in the coming weeks. It sits in the same vein as the 10-year cask strength released in February, though with a very different approach at the mashing stage.
Seawater in the mash
Mashing is the stage where malted barley is mixed with hot water to extract fermentable sugars. For Seasmoke, part of the fresh water has been replaced with seawater drawn from the bay in front of the distillery. It introduces a saline variable into the spirit before fermentation even begins, not only during maturation by the sea as is usually the case on Islay. The declared notes speak of smoked lime and sea spray, fennel and heather, dark chocolate, clove and tarry rope.
Seasmoke lands in a busy year for Ardbeg, after the 10-year cask strength in February and the announcement of Dolce for Ardbeg Day in May. The seawater experiment is the kind of move that splits drinkers looking for traditional purity from those who reward experimentation. Worth keeping an eye on once European channels confirm availability and price, neither of which has been disclosed yet.
