This bottling of 24 years old Ardbeg was done by Cadenhead for their Italian importer Sestante. This is generally believed to be 1965 distillation (another 20-bottle Cadenhead release 1965 24yo exists with the same strength).
Ardbeg 24 yo 1965
(54,4%, Cadenhead for Sestante Italy +/- 1990, dumpy white label)
Nose: very complex. There’s light peat, camphor, sweet peppermint and metal polish. Some leathery and medicinal notes. The fresh minty side is something that seems lost in modern Ardbeg. Forest floors. Hints of vague sweetness in the background. Lime. Smoked tea. The tiniest hint of incense? Excellent profile, with big complexity and stunning elegance.
Mouth: gorgeous. Again some eucalyptus, moving towards dried herbal notes (thyme), pepper and liquorice. A slight mustiness which works very well here. Old chalk. A bit of grapefruit and wax. Camphor again, with hints of cough syrup. A surprising balance of herbal notes and yellow apple sweetness underneath.
Finish: very long, spicy and herbal.
Tasting such old Ardbeg is always a special treat. This one looses some of its finesse on the palate, when the sweet herbs take over, but still, this is excellent. Price? Pfff, € 2000+? Thanks, Geert.
Score: 93/100