Ardbeg 2000 25 Years Old Artist #15 Something In The Water 700ml

55.4% ABV, 700ml. Scotland. Distillery: Ardbeg.

Heading south on Islay, the 15th edition of the Artist range makes a stop at Ardbeg Distillery. Founded in 1815 by John MacDougall, the distillery closed its doors in 1981 before reopening in 1989 with production limited to just two months per year. In 1997, The Glenmorangie Company acquired Ardbeg and undertook extensive renovations, including the construction of a new still house. Acquired by LVMH at the end of 2004, the distillery doubled its production capacity in 2021, expanding from two to four stills. Just like the intense aromas of peat, soot, mango and toffee revealed by the empty glass, this expression offers a particularly complex vision of Ardbeg.

Tasting Notes:

Nose : rich, expansive. Intense smoke, soot, ash and chunks of vegetal, saline peat take the lead. Then, beautiful notes of rancio (apricot, mango, roasted nuts, candied orange) follow. With aeration, aromas of salted butter caramel and heady flowers (iris, wild geranium) spread generously through the air.

Appearance : vieil or à reflets cuivrés.

Palate : ample and full-bodied. Closely aligned with the nose, the flavour profile reveals indulgent notes of marmalade, tarte Tatin and heather and linden honey. Gradually, peat takes hold of the palate, giving way to nuances of agave, tar, smoked bacon, iodine tincture, porridge and toasted bread that linger endlessly.

Overall : silky and plush. Rooty (ginseng, gentian) and smoky, almost tarry, it also reveals animal notes (smoked fish). In retro-olfaction, orange zest, dried fruits (raisins, dates), cardamom seeds and candied apricots highlight the noble influence of a perfectly integrated sherry cask maturation.

La Maison du Whisky

La Maison du Whisky (often abbreviated as LMDW) is a highly respected French independent bottler, importer and distributor of premium whiskies and fine spirits. Founded in 1956, the company has progressively grown from a small Paris shop, to international trader of spirits on a national, European, and finally global scale – establishing its position on the world stage via its Singapore subsidiary and its LM&V (La Maison & Velier) joint-venture. With curiosity and innovation as guiding principles, La Maison du Whisky is always growing its expertise and know-how; providing training, organising Whisky Live Paris and publishing guides, catalogues and Whisky Magazine since 2004.