Ardbeg is turning to Sicily this year, bringing a touch of la dolce vita to its unmistakably smoky Islay style.

The Islay distillery’s latest limited edition, Ardbeg Dolce, lands this week with a notable advantage for its most devoted followers. Australian Ardbeg Committee members will be first in the world to access the release, with a 24 hour preview opening tomorrow before it rolls out more broadly.

For those in the know, the Committee has long been the gateway to Ardbeg’s most sought after releases. Now more than 200,000 members strong globally, it offers early access to limited bottlings, special events and a closer connection to the distillery’s more experimental side.

This time, the focus shifts south to Sicily. Ardbeg Dolce is built around a fusion of spirit matured in Marsala dolce casks, the sweetest style of the island’s fortified wine, layered with classic bourbon cask matured Ardbeg. The result is a whisky that leans into contrast, where sweetness meets smoke and Mediterranean warmth meets Atlantic intensity.

On the nose, there is a lift of apricot, orange and stewed fruit, before the palate moves into darker territory with chocolate, spice and roasted nuts, all carried by that unmistakable thread of peat. It is a profile that plays directly into what Ardbeg has long called its peaty paradox, where richness and sweetness sit comfortably alongside smoke.

“Ardbeg Dolce is a dramatic blend of Mediterranean sweetness and Islay peat,” says Master Blender Gillian Macdonald. “Sweet notes of apricot, marmalade and dark chocolate sit alongside salty, smoky flavours and roasted nutty tones. We think it will be an instant classic.”

The release ties into Ardbeg Day, the annual celebration held at the close of Islay’s Festival of Music and Malt, where fans gather worldwide to mark all things smoky. This year’s theme draws on the glamour of 1960s Italian cinema, reimagined through an Islay lens. In Australia, that translates to a series of events built around what Ardbeg is calling “Peat-zzeria”, pairing smoky drams with woodfired pizza across a handful of venues nationwide.

For collectors and committed Ardbeg drinkers, the early access window is the moment to watch. The 24 hour Committee preview opens April 30, offering a chance to secure a bottle before it reaches the wider market via The Whisky Club.

Bottled at 47.8 per cent ABV, Ardbeg Dolce sits firmly within the distillery’s tradition of bold, flavour driven releases, shaped by both cask influence and house style.

Further details and access to the preview are available via the Ardbeg Committee website.