2000 Ardbeg, Vintage_Y2K, 23-Year-Old, Islay, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (46%)

INTRO : Distilled in the year 2000, Vintage Y2K perfectly encapsulates the optimism and excitement surrounding Ardbeg in that momentous year. This rare millennium spirit is characterised by bright, zesty notes, intensely sweet and sooty flavours and a vibrant effervescence.

COLOUR : Pale Amber

AROMA : Herbal, sweet and fragrant, with a subtle, distant perfumed smokiness. Next a quirky, zesty note like lemon balsam emerges, along with a suggestion of linseed oil and candied walnuts. A splash of water and the fragrance intensifies, emitting heather honey, a touch of creosote and the tiniest trace of tent canvas.

TASTE : The texture is fizzy and effervescing (sherbety), with a real, vibrant effervescence on the tongue. At first the flavour is intensely sweet, then shifts as aniseed, toffee, digestive biscuits, peppermint, menthol, tar and coffee grits burst through.

FINISH : The sooty/tarry flavours keep building, until they finally dissolve into a long, lingering aftertaste of antiseptic lozenges, bitter oranges and oak tannins.

Ardbeg Distillery