THE firm behind Islay malt Ardbeg has released a rare 23 year old expression of the whisky, which is available exclusively to the distillery’s most dedicated fans.
Dubbed Ardbeg Twenty Something, the expression is non-chill filtered and bottled at 46.3% ABV and has been made available exclusively to members of loyalty scheme the Ardbeg Committee.
Its launch by parent firm The Glenmorangie Company commemorates a time when the Ardbeg name was almost lost; during the 1980s and ’90s, production is said to have ground to a near halt, with the distillery’s future hanging in the balance.
During this period, only a small number of casks were laid down – with the distillery’s survival attributed largely to the support of the Ardbeg Committee.
Mickey Heads, distillery manager and chairman of the Ardbeg Committee, said the release is “a glimpse back into Ardbeg’s turbulent past and reaffirms just why the distillery couldn’t be allowed to disappear”.
