Ardbeg Twenty Something 22 Year

This marks a significant moment in my whisky exploration. I've finally obtained a somewhat elusive single malt: the 22-year-old Ardbeg "Twenty Something." This legendary dram was only available at an Ardbeg Embassy in Edinburgh, where rare bottles were displayed. Bottled at 46.4% ABV, with a limited release of 2400 bottles. Nose: Quite pleasant. Notes of BBQ meat with herbs and Worcestershire sauce. A strong herbal presence. Damp, mossy earth. Faint smoke emerged later. Highly aromatic but not overly intricate. Palate: Initially presented as strange, spongy mossy water, followed by gooseberries and lemon. Muddy peatiness with some ginger. A subsequent sip revealed a marshmallow note; it felt understated rather than refined. The third sip confirmed a sweet, sugary profile. It possesses a restrained Ardbeg character, present but faint. Aftertaste: Dry and not very long. Notes of moss and faint saltiness. Improved significantly on the second sip. Flavors of red chili, pepper, and saltiness, almost causing a lip burn. It lacks intensity. Overall: This is a decent dram, but falls short of expectations. It reinforces the idea that younger Ardbeg expressions are superior to older ones. My score is 87 out of 100.

OK here we go. My friend Mike recently reviewed this bottle and he liked it a good bit more than when I first opened it. Well, lets see how this does now that is has been open a solid 8-9 months. Nose - Menthol, salt, brine, tiny tiny touch of citrus, vanilla, and there is a bit of a bready character at the end. I keep looking for more oak but nothing here. Taste - Lemon lime, vanilla, and menthol / smoke. Chocolate, tobacco and as it finishes a bit of meat and roasted nuts. Water adds a bit of a metallic note but it also brings out a bit of a bitter note at the end and actually adds more "power" to the mid pallet. Finish - when I have to talk about finish, you know I'm getting into a great whisky. This thing just keep finishing, it lasts forever with the smoke and a bit of a bite just holding on to you. It's absolutely the best part of the whisky. It is NOT worth 500 dollars, no way in the world is it worth that, but this is special whisky. I'll miss it once it is gone, but it's a bit soft and lacks the mouth feel and the power that cask strength could have done to it. With that, this would be a 5 star whisky but without it, I'm wanting more and I really shouldn't want more on a 500 dollar whisky.

Smoky peat, freshly cut lumber, new tires, and salt water define the balanced scents. The sip presents a very arid sensation with hints of sugary tobacco, coal tar, rubber, woodsmoke, and abundant salt water.

The extended barrel aging results in a very balanced yet intricate rendition compared to younger versions, featuring tastes of salted baked goods, dried fall blossoms, and fresh cheese.

distilled before the distillery closed, aged in first-fill bourbon casks - gentle notes of vanilla and seashell on the nose, a palate of sweet caramel, nutmeg, and seaweed, with a long, smoky finish

Smooth, fruity notes of lemon tart or lime sweets, with a persistent smoke foundation. Smooth, velvety finish.