Celebrating National Scotch Day: A Tribute to Terroir and Timeless Character

Published July 9th, 2025

Every July 27th, whisky lovers raise a dram to celebrate National Scotch Day, honoring Scotland’s most iconic export and the centuries-old traditions behind each bottle. Beyond the smoky allure or honeyed complexity of a good Scotch lies something deeper — terroir.

Terroir — a concept borrowed from wine — quietly but powerfully shapes Scotch. It’s the mix of climate, water, local peat, and maturation conditions that give each region and distillery its unique fingerprint.

The Peat‑Driven Power of Ardbeg

On Islay’s southern coast, Ardbeg distillery creates single malts known for their elemental intensity. Sea air, peat bogs, and Atlantic weather converge to produce heavy smoke, medicinal salinity, and citrus lift.

• Ardbeg Anamorphic: Artistic expression meets terroir—big peat with fruit sweetness.

• Ardbeg Ardcore 2022: A deep, bold, storm‑cloud dram showcasing the darkest peat notes.

A Fantasy Tour of Terroir: Game of Thrones Mortlach

Part of the Game of Thrones collection, Mortlach “Six Kingdoms” is a Speyside single malt that brings forward strawberry, chocolate, and soft oak—a harmonious expression of its Highland home. Fantasy fans and terroir lovers alike will appreciate its narrative and palate.

🔥 Featured Bottles & Terroir Notes

Ardbeg Anamorphic – A creative Islay expression with Ardbeg’s signature peat smoke balanced by orchard fruit notes. A poetry-in-a-bottle reflection of the distillery’s coastal terroir.

Ardbeg Ardcore 2022 – Dubbed a celebration of “deep peat and dark intensity,” this limited release captures Islay’s elemental storm: saline, spice, smoke.

Game of Thrones Mortlach Six Kingdoms 15 Yr – This Speyside single malt, rebranded as “Six Kingdoms,” blends strawberry jam warmth, chocolate, and soft oak—a textbook example of terroir expressing gentle, fruit-forward Highland soil.