Ardbeg Twenty Something 22 Year

first fill bourbon barrels from before distillery shut down - soft vanilla and seashell nose, sweet caramel and nutmeg and seaweed elegant palate, long peaty finish

This is one of those epic moments in my whisky journey. A single malt that has been a little elusive has finally fallen into my hands, i am talking about the 22yo Ardbeg "Twenty Something". I could only find this legendary dram at an Ardbeg Embassy, in Edinburgh, where some pretty rare bottles were displayed for a humble man to choose. Bottled at 46.4%abv, only 2400 bottles were ever made. On the nose, it was pretty nice. A bbq meat with herbs and worcestershire sauce. Big herbal feeling. A mossy, wet bank. Dim smoke appeared after a while. Very aromatic, but not too complex. On the palate, it started with a crazy weird spongy mossy water. Gooseberries and lemon. Muddy peatiness and some ginger. The second sip gave me a marshmallow note; feels weak rather than elegant.the third sip confirmed to be sweet and sugary. It has a tamed Ardbeg spirit, it is there but in a ghostly way. Aftertaste was dry and not too long. Moss, dim saltiness. On the second sip it became a lot better. Red chilli, pepper, salty; almost lip scorching. It needs more power. Overall, this is not a bad dram at all, but it is also not nearly as good as you dream it to be. This is another proof that younger Ardbeg expressions are far superior than the older ones. My honest score for it is 87 over 100.

Creamy, citrus fruits - lemon curd? Key lime coolers? Constant undercurrent of smoke tying it all together. Milky, creamy finish

Peat, fresh-cut oak, new rubber, and brine are some of the well-balanced aromas. This dram has a very dry mouth feel with notes of sweet tobacco, tar, rubber, smoke, and a whole lot of brine.

nose of sweet ocean air.Light smoke throughout with a briny citrus finish

So smoky so good