Jim’s Picks: The Best of Ardbeg Scotch

When Jim picks the Scotch, you know there’s a reason every bottle made the table.

Jim is a serious Scotch drinker—the kind of person who has tasted his way through distilleries, regions, age statements, cask finishes, limited releases, and more bottles than most of us could ever keep track of. For this tasting, we’re turning the lineup over to him and asking a simple question:

If you wanted to show someone the very best of Ardbeg, what would you pour?

These are Jim’s picks, chosen personally from one of his favorite Islay distilleries. No sales rep choosing the lineup. No bottles picked simply because they’re new. Just four Ardbeg expressions Jim believes are worth opening, sharing, and tasting side by side.

WHY ARDBEG?

If you love smoky Scotch, you probably already know the name.

Ardbeg has been making whisky on the southern coast of Islay since 1815 and has built a devoted following for its intensely peated single malts. But calling Ardbeg simply “smoky” doesn’t really do it justice.

Behind all that peat you can find layers of citrus, vanilla, pepper, chocolate, sea salt, fruit, spice and that unmistakable maritime character that makes Islay whisky so distinctive. Depending on the casks, age and maturation, Ardbeg can move from bright and briny to dark, rich and almost dessert-like—all while keeping that signature smoke running through it.

That range is exactly what makes an Ardbeg tasting so much fun.

JIM PICKS THE BOTTLES

This isn’t meant to be a greatest-hits lineup pulled from a catalog. Jim is personally hand-picking the four Ardbegs he wants you to taste.

And if you’ve been to one of Jim’s tastings before, you know that’s part of the fun. He knows Scotch inside and out, he has definite opinions about what’s worth drinking, and he’s never afraid to tell you why he chose one bottle over another.

We’ll taste each expression side by side, talk about what makes it different, explore the influence of peat and cask maturation, and get Jim’s take on why each bottle earned its place in the lineup.

Whether you’re already an Ardbeg fan, love big smoky Islay whisky, or have always wondered what serious Scotch drinkers see in heavily peated malts, this is a great opportunity to explore Ardbeg with someone who genuinely knows—and loves—Scotch.

Four bottles. One legendary Islay distillery. All personally selected by Jim.

Seats in The Cellars are limited, and a Jim’s Picks tasting is never just about what happens to be sitting on the shelf. It’s a chance to taste the bottles Jim himself thinks are worth your time and your glass.

Reserve your seat and come find out which Ardbegs make Jim’s list of the best.

No refunds due to limited seating.