Ardbeg VINTAGE_Y2K 23 years 70 cl. 46% with gift box

Do you remember the year 2000? While the rest of the world feared global computer chaos, the people of Ardbeg were busy upgrading equipment and working their magic on some rare casks – casks which, in a Y2K glitch, were accidentally sent to a remote warehouse where it matured in obscurity for 23 years until it was finally rediscovered. This is the very first taste of the rare vintage.

The first in a series of limited releases from the year 2000, Ardbeg Vintage Y2K is a unique 23-year-old whiskey matured in oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. Distilled in a year when Ardbeg explored innovative whiskey techniques, using old stills, it is a wonderful combination of old and new.

Appearance: Light amber

Aroma: Herbal, sweet and fragrant, with a subtle, distant perfumed smokiness. Next comes a whimsical, fresh note like lemon balm along with a hint of linseed oil and candied walnuts. A splash of water and the scent intensifies, emitting heather honey, a touch of creosote and the slightest trace of tent cloth.

Taste: The texture is effervescent and effervescent (sherbety), with a real, vibrant effervescence on the tongue. At first the taste is intensely sweet and then changes as anise, caramel, digestive biscuits, peppermint, menthol, tar and coffee grounds burst through.

Finish: The sooty/tarry flavors continue to build until finally dissolving into a long, lingering aftertaste of antiseptic lozenges, bitter oranges and oak tannins.