Ardbeg – 23 Year Old Vintage Y2K (70cl, 46%)

Ardbeg Vintage Y2K, pronounced Year-Two-K, is a 23 year old Islay single malt bottled at 46% ABV in a 70cl bottle. It is the first edition of a limited series. It marks the distillery restarting production in time for the millennium, under the Glenmorangie Company, which had rescued it in 1997. The whisky comes from the first distillate of the new millennium, matured in bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. The character is bright and spicy, with an intense sweetness and black smoke. Lemon balm, linseed oil and heather honey are followed by soot and peppermint, recalling ground coffee and aniseed.