Ardbeg 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky
Ardbeg 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky is a 750mL single malt from Ardbeg Distillery on Islay, Scotland, bottled at 46% ABV and non-chill-filtered. It joined the core range in January 2021 as the oldest permanent expression in it, released in limited quantities: the whisky was distilled in the 1990s, when the distillery was producing only a small trickle of spirit in some of its darkest days, which is what makes a quarter-century-old Ardbeg so scarce. Secondary sources describe maturation in ex-bourbon casks. It arrives in a gun-metal bottle inside an intricate metal cage with Ardbeg knotwork. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof), non-chill-filtered
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 25 years — distilled in the 1990s (no single vintage year is official)
- Style: Islay single malt Scotch whisky — core-range expression since 2021, limited quantities
- Casks: Ex-bourbon casks per retailer/spec-sheet sources (not sighted on an official Ardbeg page)
- Origin: Ardbeg Distillery, Islay, Scotland
- Award: World Whiskies Awards 2024 — Category Winner and Best Scotch Islay Single Malt
Distilled in the Darkest Days
Ardbeg's 1990s were lean years — the distillery ran at a trickle, and very little spirit was laid down. What was filled then, and survived, is what this bottle pours twenty-five years later. Whisky Creator Dr Bill Lumsden's launch assessment was that the whisky kept Ardbeg's smoky punch through its quarter century while gaining complexity and elegance — power, aged into poise. It was named Category Winner and Best Scotch Islay Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2024. Find more of the distillery on the Ardbeg vendor page or browse our Scotch whisky and whisky collections.
Tasting Notes
From the brand's official notes: a bright amber pour. Nose: Smoked cream, peppermint and toffee, with fennel and pine resin, distant earthy bonfires, herbal and tropical-fruit notes and fragrant candle wax. Palate: A vibrant hot-pepper mouthfeel; sherbet-lemon sweetness with candied apple, pear and orange; hints of carbolic soap and tar; creamy toffee, aniseed and chilli pepper. Finish: Long, mellow and lingering — cream, fudge and delicate antiseptic notes.
How to Enjoy
Neat, in a tulip glass, at room temperature — twenty-five years of Islay smoke deserves the first pour unaltered. A few drops of water will open the sherbet-lemon and fruit side; no ice, no mixer, nothing cold enough to mute it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ardbeg 25 a limited edition? It is a permanent core-range expression (since January 2021) released in limited quantities because of its age — successive bottlings exist, and it is distinct from limited series bottlings such as the Vintage_Y2K 25.
How strong is it? 46% ABV, bottled non-chill-filtered.
When was it distilled? In the 1990s, per the brand's launch statements; no specific vintage year is published for the core-range bottling.
A quarter century of Islay in one cage — order Ardbeg 25 Year Old from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA while this bottling lasts.