Ardbeg 17 Year and Vintage Y2K

The Ardbeg distillery, on the remote, rocky island of Islay, has been around since 1815. But the Ardbeg we know today — the Ardbeg which just won double gold at the New York International Spirits Competition for its Uigeadail and 10 Year Old expressions — has only been a going concern since 1997. That’s when the Glenmorangie Company, now part of LVMH, acquired the distillery.

Ardbeg Since the Acquisition

When the distillery was acquired, it had barely produced any whisky for more than 15 years, having been one of the victims of the downturn in brown spirits in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But after the acquisition, Ardbeg had the capital to start producing whisky regularly again. It also had a secret weapon — its new head of distilling and whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden. Always pushing boundaries, and experimenting with every aspect of whisky production, Dr. Lumsden propelled Ardbeg into the 21st century and its current status as one of the most popular whiskies on Islay and all of Scotland. Today, the Ardbeg Committee, the brand’s international fan base, numbers more than 180,000 members worldwide.

An Old-New (Or Is It New-Old?) Ardbeg 17 year, Revived

At the same time Lumsden was forging ahead with new whiskeys sporting goofy names like Ardbeg Alligator, Arrrrdbeg, and Wee Beastie (the latter of which has also taken the gold at the NYISC), he was also in charge of overseeing the aging stocks of whisky that had been distilled before the acquisition. Those surviving stocks helped the newly revived Ardbeg hit the ground running after its reopening without waiting years for the new stuff to mature.

One of the first “new” Ardbegs released in the late ‘90s was a 17 year old expression, consisting of whiskies distilled in 1980 and before (only the youngest whiskies in a blend can be represented in the age statement). Bottled at a surprising 40% ABV (most modern Ardbegs weigh in at 46% and above), it can be described with words you normally wouldn’t hear referring to an Ardbeg — light, elegant, even restrained. The 17 hasn’t been made for close to two decades, but this year, Lumsden & Co. have brought it back. It’s got a new name — “The Legend Returns” — but the flavor profile is as exact a recreation of the original as they could make. With delicate smoke, notes of toffee and dark chocolate, and a dry, gently spicy finish, it’s a great starter Ardbeg to ease a newbie into Islay whiskies, and it’s a terrific change of pace for the experienced veteran as well. The Legend Returns is a limited edition, with a not-exactly-cheap $189.99 price tag. But it took close to 20 years for it to come back, and who knows when or if it’ll come around again.

Ardbeg Y2K: Vintage Whisky

A recreation of a vintage spirit is welcome, but those who want to taste the actual distillate from the early years of the Ardbeg reboot are in luck as well. A batch the very first Ardbeg distillate of the 2000s was, the story goes, lost amidst the chaos of Y2K software glitches and mistakenly sent to the wrong warehouse, where it languished for 23 years before being discovered. I generally take this kind of story with a grain of salt, but that’s what the brand says happened. And even if it’s a tall tale, Ardbeg Vintage Y2K still a beautiful whisky — a blend of bourbon and Oloroso sherry cask-aged spirit, made in the still used by the distillery from 1950 until it was retired in 2001. The nose is elegant, earthy with pronounced notes of bright citrus; the palate is rich and buttery, with big vanilla notes slowly evolving on the tongue as malt and grain flavors come to the fore. Hints of menthol and licorice mingle with somewhat subdued smoke and burnt-rubber, before finishing in a long, gorgeous, oaky finish.

Vintage Y2K is a historic whisky with, obviously, a very limited supply (the exact number of bottles hasn’t been disclosed), and at $800 for a bottle, it’s priced accordingly. It’s not for the casual whisky drinker, nor for fans on a budget. But if you’ve got the loot and a taste for Islay malts, this one should be on your to-buy list before it disappears into the realm of the secondary market. Regardless, there should be at least one Ardbeg in your collection – start off with the 10 Year and/or Uigeadail and go from there.

Spirits, WhiskeyTony SachsNovember 15, 2024Scotch, islayComment