Ardbeg – 25 Years Old 1st Edition (70cl, 46%)

Ardbeg 25 Years Old is the oldest bottling from the Islay distillery, and this is the first edition, from 2020. It is bottled at 46% in a 70cl bottle, non-chill-filtered and of natural colour. The whisky matured in a small selection of casks dating from a time when the distillery was close to a temporary closure. It completes the distillery's core range. Tasting notes describe smoked cream, earthy bonfires, pine and candle wax on the nose. The palate brings sharp pepper around lemon sorbet, with carbolic soap and tar, and the finish is long, with aniseed and lingering cream.