WINE & SPIRITS

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They send their whiskey across the globe to an ocean of "peat freaks," but keep enough on the island to stay properly pickled. All roads eventually lead to a distillery. Besides Ardbeg, there are seven others on the island including Lagavulin, Laphroaig and the three Bs—Bowmore, Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich. (The seventh, Caol Ila, is hidden in a quiet cove near the latter two.) While all Islay malts are celebrated, none have quite the phenolic kick of Ardbeg, the peatiest and smokiest of the lot.

Processed in a copper still and aged in imported oak barrels that once held Kentucky bourbon, Ardbeg is a complex whiskey with fruity floral notes. There's a touch of sweetness that brings its peat and iodine into balance. It is also prized for its rich lipid legs (swirled in a glass, it sticks to the sides like caramel).

On Islay as a media taster—it's a tough job, I know—I considered those long legs in glasses of three different Ardbegs. The 92 proof, 10-year-old whisky had a toffee nose and flavors of wood smoke and biscuits. In the long finish I found espresso, vanilla and a hint of tobacco. Adding a few drops of water released fragrant citrus notes.

Next on my tongue came Ardbeg's Uigeadail (pronounced Oo-ge-dahl), which, translated from Gaelic, means a dark, mysterious place. It's named for a water source inland from the distillery. This potent, 108 proof whisky is a natural match with rich, dark chocolate. Aged partially in cherry-stained oak, it has a smoky nose and aromas of walnuts and fudge. Dark candied fruit flavors linger long on the palate.

My last glass was Ardbeg's soon-to-be-released tongue twister, Airigh Nam Beist (pronounced Aargh-na-beast). This dark whiskey—lovingly referred to as the "beast"—smells like a smoky forest floor with aromas of fennel and pine and a peppery, syrupy, bacony taste.