Islay icon Ardbeg has unveiled a final, 25 year old expression for its Vintage_Y2K series.
Doubling as the oldest, and rarest expression so far, the single malt was finished in Spanish Tempranillo red wine casks. In a historic distillery first, the hand-selected casks were sourced from the renowned Bodega Numanthia estate in north-west Spain.
Acquired by LVMH’s Glenmorangie Company in 1997 after years of uncertainty, Ardbeg returned to full production in 2000. Distilled using the distillery’s now-retired 51-year-old still, the resulting Vintage_Y2K trilogy is now a historically unique, unrepeatable spirit.
The millennium trilogy was first established in 2024 with the release of a 23-year-old single malt matured in a combination of Bourbon and Oloroso Sherry casks. This continued in 2025 with a 24-year-old bottling finished in Amontillado Sherry casks, establishing the wood-policy progression that defines the 2000 vintage series.
Ardbeg’s director of whisky creation Dr Bill Lumsden has said that the expression promises a 'rich, zesty complexity' with nose notes of chilli chocolate, smoked blackcurrants and paprika, along with a palate that features coffee, spare ribs, and a 'distinctively Ardbeggian menthol and lime pickle'.
The distillery's notes are:
Nose: Very subtly smoky, with smoked blackcurrants, chilli chocolate and a curious note of aged balsamic vinegar. Water brings out linseed oil and smoked paprika.
Palate: Rich, spicy and smoky. Coffee grounds, dark chocolate, smoked fruits and a touch of barbecued spare ribs, then classic Ardbeg medicinal notes eucalyptus and camphor with paprika, mustard seed and sweet chilli.
Finish: Lingering and zesty, with lime pickle and tar.
Bottled at 48% ABV, the expression has an MSRP of £730 (US$987) and is available through the distillery’s website and visitor centre on Islay, as well as at select UK retailers, including The Whisky Exchange, Berry Bros & Rudd, and Master of Malt.
Kanpai!
88 Bamboo Editorial Team
