Ardbeg – 1998 Feis Ile 2011 (70cl, 55.1%)

Ardbeg – 1998 Feis Ile 2011 is a whisky from Ardbeg (Islay). Bottled at 55.1% ABV, 70cl. Since its establishment in 1815, The Ardbeg distillery has been on a tumultuous rollercoaster ride of ownership changes, closures, and reopening. Stability was only achieved relatively recently, when the ailing distillery was purchased in 1997 by industry giants, Glenmorangie. The subsequent years have seen the distillery’s popularity swell, with fans enticed by the signature style of tarry, sooty smoke, balanced against citric sweetness and an oily mouthfeel. While Ardbeg still retains its distinctive personality, it has definitely been influenced by Glenmorangie’s propensity for experimenting with cask finishing, and (dare we say it) NAS expressions. This very rare Ardbeg is drawn from just two Spanish Pedro Ximenez Butts and bottled at cask strength to celebrate the 2011 Islay Festival of Music and Malt “Feis Ile”. This is a rare beast full of pent up power - don’t turn your back on it! Please examine the images of the bottle.