There are whiskies that make a statement and then there are whiskies that feel like historical documents in liquid form. The new Ardbeg Vintage Y24 24 Years Old single malt belongs firmly in the latter category, a release that does not simply mark time but tells a story about survival, rebirth, and experiment on the windswept coast of Islay.
The Second Chapter in the Vintage_Y2K Series
This is only the second release in Ardbeg’s rare millennium vintage series, following the Vintage_Y2K 23 Years Old unveiled in 2024. Where that bottling hinted at the phoenix-like comeback of the distillery in the early 2000s, the Vintage_Y24 24 Years Old digs deeper into the archive, pulling from stocks first laid down in 2000—the exact year Ardbeg roared back to full production after nearly being lost to closure just three years prior.
The whisky is not just a liquid but a timestamp, distilled in Ardbeg’s historic still, some of the last drops to run before it was retired.
A First for Ardbeg: Amontillado Sherry Casks
Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE, director of whisky creation, has long been known for his willingness to prod tradition with a stick, to see what new flavors might emerge when the old ways are bent. For this expression, he turned to Amontillado Sherry casks, a finishing vessel never before used at Ardbeg.
“The ultra-rare whiskies of our Vintage_Y2K series are hugely precious,” Lumsden explained. “Older and even rarer than its predecessor, the 24 Years Old is a real treat for Ardbeg super fans. Combined with classic Ardbeg, their wood creates a sublimely delicate whisky. Sherried notes of toffee and nuts meet bonfire embers and coal tar soap, with an edge of menthol. A fitting celebration of Ardbeg’s rebirth.”
It’s a description that captures both the balance and contradiction Ardbeg devotees look for: sweetness tempered by smoke, delicacy shot through with maritime intensity.
Tasting Notes and Details
At 47.8% ABV, the Ardbeg Vintage_Y24 presents with a burnished depth of color. On the nose, waves of toffee, roasted nuts, and dried fruit mingle with the brand’s signature phenolic smoke. The palate offers a surprising softness, the Amontillado influence layering in subtle oxidative notes, before giving way to embers, coal tar soap, and that cool minty lift.
The finish is long, complex, and meditative—a whisky that asks not just to be consumed but to be contemplated.
Availability and Pricing
Bottled at a recommended retail price of £680 (US$927), the Ardbeg Vintage Y24 24 Years Old is aimed at collectors and die-hard fans of the distillery who understand that what’s inside is more than whisky—it is a tangible piece of Ardbeg’s turn-of-the-century renaissance.
The release underscores the continued significance of the Vintage_Y2K series, both as a showcase of rare stocks and as a narrative thread tying the distillery’s survival in the late 1990s to its bold innovations today. For those lucky enough to find a bottle, it is less a purchase than a communion with a pivotal moment in Islay’s Scotch history.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
Last month, Ardbeg launched The Beithir’s Tale, the final 15-Year-Old release in their Anthology Whisky Series.
