"A glitch in the Ardware", reads the inside of the box. Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K is a series of limited releases of whiskies distilled in the year 2000. Each one will represent a different side of the distillery, with no two whiskies alike. Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 23 is a single malt Islay Scotch whisky matured in oloroso and bourbon casks for 23 years.
Nose: 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.
Palate: 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.
