The nearest thing to being able to step back in time to the Ardbeg Distillery of yesteryear, is to taste the spirit it produced. Ardbeg Twenty Something is a rare Limited Edition Committee bottling from 23 long years ago. On the nose,Initial bursts of vanilla cream, sweet wood smoke and antique furniture mingle with sweet bubble gum, roasted pinecones and chocolate. On the second nose, fresh tropical fruits are infused with deeper chocolate and sherry led notes. A splash of water releases robust flavors of smoke, creosote and coal tar, followed by medicinal notes and ripe mangos. Take a sip and at first, rich chocolate flavors combine with a silky mouthfeel. The second sip begins with more chocolate, then something deeper – vanilla pods and intense dried fruits glide into pine needles and pine smoke. Then finally, more chocolate, this time rich chocolate covered raisins. The finish exhibits herbal notes and incense create a long, lingering finish, rounded off with a hint of spice. Ardbeg Twenty Something – something you won’t want to miss.
This momentous bottling contains whisky distilled during some of the most precarious days of Ardbeg’s past, when only a handful of casks were set aside. Sumptuous and soothing, melding pepper, rye and Ardbeg’s famous peaty smoke, this is a golden dram born from adversity, determination and dedication.
A limited edition release. A deep amber colored whisky with a nutty/oaky note. Water initiates fresh, briny sea-spray note. Remarkably fresh for such a peaty whisky.