Ardbeg caps off a remarkable whisky series with a 25-year-old expression and distinctive wine casks

Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 09:14

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Ardbeg has once again pulled an old whisky from the warehouses. This time it’s a 25-year-old single malt, bringing a distinctive series to a close. What’s more, it was matured in a combination we don’t often see from Ardbeg.

The new whisky is called Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old, and it’s the third and final release in the Vintage_Y2K series. Earlier entries in the line were 23 and 24 years old. For this last edition, Ardbeg once more looks back to a pivotal moment in the distillery’s history.

Why is the year 2000 so important to Ardbeg?

To understand why the millennium matters so much to Ardbeg, we need to rewind a little. Rescued from potential closure in 1997, Ardbeg returned to full production in 2000 after extensive renovations.

The whiskies in the Vintage_Y2K series come from that era. A striking detail about this release is that the spirit was made on an old still that, according to Ardbeg, had been in use for 51 years. That still was decommissioned in 2001.

What sets this 25-year-old Ardbeg apart?

Ardbeg first matured the whisky in ex-bourbon casks. It then received a head-turning finish: a transfer into Tempranillo red wine casks from Spain’s Bodega Numanthia. It’s the first time Ardbeg has used casks from this Spanish winery for a whisky.

Nose: Smoked dark fruits, spiced chocolate, subtle wine notes, and a pronounced layer of peat smoke.
Palate: Full and powerful, with notes of coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruits, spice, and smoky barbecue accents.
Finish: Long, smoky, and warming, with lingering hints of cacao, spice, and peat.

The whisky is bottled at 48% alcohol by volume (ABV).

This marks the end of the Vintage_Y2K whisky series

With the 25 Years Old, the series that began in 2024 comes to a close. The first release was 23 years old and married bourbon with Oloroso sherry casks. A year later came a 24-year-old finished in Amontillado sherry casks.

For the finale, Ardbeg has opted not for sherry again, but for Spanish red wine.

Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old is bottled at 48% ABV. The recommended retail price in the United Kingdom is £730. That makes it not only the oldest and rarest whisky in the series, but also clearly a bottle aimed at collectors and die-hard Ardbeg fans.

FAQ

How old is Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old?
This Ardbeg is 25 years old and was distilled around the turn of the millennium, a defining period in the distillery’s history.
What casks was Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old matured in?
The whisky was first matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in Tempranillo red wine casks from the Spanish winery Bodega Numanthia.
What is the ABV of Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 25 Years Old?
The whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and is the third and final chapter in Ardbeg’s Vintage_Y2K series.