The fine folks at Ardbeg are launching a new range called the Anthology Collection, per a recent article from Spirits Business. The first entry in the range will be dubbed “The Harpy’s Tale”. It will be a whisky aged for 13 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes casks, bottled at the Ardbeg standard of 46% abv. According to the article, the availability will likely be somewhat limited, and the recommended retail price will weigh in at a whopping $180.

There’s no doubt that Ardbeg does a lot right–a uniformly excellent, reasonably affordable, and widely available core range, always bottled at a minimum of 46% abv. However, this new launch continues a disturbing trend for Ardbeg–and for the industry at large–of very pricey, low or no age statement bottlings, with the price largely justified by the use of non-standard casks.