Review #567 - Ardbeg Anthology 13 Year: The Harpy's Tale
The first in a relatively new series from Ardbeg: this is the Anthology series, specifically a 13 year old bottling named 'The Harpy's Tale.' The Harpy is a mythical creature, half bird and half human, which is supposed to have a fierce personality; according to the brand, these creatures are said to inhabit the isle of Islay.
The cask regimen used in this first Anthology whisky is a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes, which is a sweet, fortified French wine. This should blend together some classic Ardbeg style with a more nuanced, fruit-forward maturation; after those 13 years of aging, they bottled this single malt at 46% ABV, and they state clearly on the label that it isn't chill filtered.
Ardbeg Anthology 13 Year: The Harpy's Tale
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price: USD 195 (2025)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes casks
Details: Not chill filtered, bottled 2023
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 30% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Sharp and peaty, with an interesting spirit character - a little vegetal, them some effervescent of fizzy notes. The complexion is light, and we get some lemon fruit.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel; it's a bit spirity and sharp, with strong, ashy peat smoke. Black pepper and white pepper add some spice; it's still youthful, with bright scents of lemon and freshly baked bread. There's a soft earthy note from the spirit, too.
Finish: Lemon citrus, slightly sour, continues from the palate; peat is still relatively strong and sharp, accented by charcoal. It leans dry overall, and some oak does finally start to show up at the end of the finish; it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: A lot of this experience feels like a standard ex-bourbon Ardbeg - not dissimilar to the 10 Year Old, which is available everywhere for a much lower price. There's plenty of peat, and we found this to be a somewhat sharp whisky; the age slowly crept out at the end, but we didn't get it much in the nose or palate.
Value isn't great, at least in the US market, where this bottle carries quite the premium; we would take a couple of the core range Ardbegs over this bottle, considering the price difference.
Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.48
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
