Ardbeg adds Amontillado Sherry finish to whisky
The second single malt whisky in Ardbeg’s rare millennium vintage series – Ardbeg Vintage_Y24 24 Years Old – was finished in Amontillado Sherry casks.
Ardbeg Vintage_Y24 24 Years Old was filled into casks in 2000 – the year the Islay-based distillery returned to full production after it was saved from closure in 1997.
Initially matured in ex-Bourbon casks, director of whisky creation Dr Bill Lumsden MBE turned to Amontillado Sherry casks – a first for Ardbeg.
Lumsden said: “The ultra-rare whiskies of our Vintage_Y2K series are hugely precious, since they mark the start of a new generation of Ardbeg. Older and even rarer than its predecessor, the 24 Years Old is a real treat for Ardbeg super fans.
“Distilled in Ardbeg’s historic still, its spirit is some of the last created before it was retired. And while Amontillado Sherry is an all-time favourite of mine, we have not used them before to finish an Ardbeg.
“Combined with classic Ardbeg, their wood creates a sublimely delicate whisky. Sherried notes of toffee and nuts meet bonfire embers and coal tar soap, with an edge of menthol. A fitting celebration of Ardbeg’s rebirth.”
Ardbeg Vintage_Y24 24 Years Old clocks in at 47.8% ABV and has an RRP of £680 (US$927).
Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 23 Years Old was the first release in the series, and came to market in 2024.
Earlier this month, The Glenmorangie Company – parent company of Ardbeg – officially opened the doors of its boutique hotel Ardbeg House following a multi-million-pound transformation of the former Islay Hotel in Port Ellen.
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