Ardbeg Alligator is a striking limited edition released in 2011 as part of Ardbeg’s experimental lineup, created to celebrate the distillery’s peaty character while showcasing an aggressive cask-treatment technique. The name refers to an “alligator” char — an intense toasting/char on virgin American oak that produces deep, cracked patterns in the wood and greatly increases spirit–wood contact. That pronounced oak influence adds dark, bittersweet layers — think espresso, dark chocolate and roasted spices — while the signature Islay peat and saline minerality remain clearly present.