Much ado has been made about the fact that this year's Valentine's coincide with Chinese New Year and I've received quite a few promotions marking this special occasion. The release for Ardbeg that came into my inbox was probably the most intriguing. Pitching the whiskey as the "ultimate Valentine's gift for rebels", I was immediately caught by the visual. I'm a sucker for anything packaged nicely as evidenced by this post and this so my immediate thought was ohhhh alcohol and chains, it doesn't get much naughtier than this. Yet, I believe the release was referring to the whiskey itself and that in fact this isn't special packaging more than a great press shot. (Please correct me if I'm wrong though.)

Anyway, digression aside, I'm not much an expert on whiskey so this is verbatim from the press release. "Ardbeg prides itself on being the “Ultimate Islay Malt Whisky”. Established in 1815, it is revered by connoisseurs as the peatiest, smokiest and most complex of all Islay malts. Despite its smokiness, Ardbeg is also renowned for its devilishly delicious sweetness and quirky aromas, light heartedly compared to soap, leather saddles and salted herrings."

If this floats your boat, Ardbeg is available in selected retail shops including City Super, Oliver's The Delicatessen, Sogo, Jusco and Rare & Fine Wines. The suggested retail price of a 70cl bottle of Ardbeg is HK$580.