Cadenhead's Authentic Collection Ardbeg 14 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

The firm of William Cadenhead Ltd, Wine and Spirit Merchants, was founded in 1842 and is Scotland's oldest independent bottler. The company was in the ownership of the same family until taken over by J & A Mitchell & Co.Ltd in 1972, the proprietors of Springbank distillery. Today, Cadenhead is legendary for bottling excellent single cask whiskies. The company places particular emphasis on the individuality and purity of each bottling. All whiskies are bottled undiluted at their natural maturing strength and are not subject to any artificial processing such as chill filtering or the addition of caramel.

Tasting Note; It's been said where there's smoke, there's fire, and there's plenty of both in this rare bottling of Ardbeg. Enormous plumes of fresh peat smoke jump out of the glass, the addition of water, even substantial amounts does very little to soften the blow. It's whisky, at full throttle, straight from the get-go. The palate is driven by the smoke, it's fat, rich, oily, smoky and firey. Each sip reveals different characters beneath the smoke - toffee apple, cinnamon sugar, vanilla, brine and spice are all evident as you very slowly work your way through to the bottom of your glass. The finish is exceptionally long, firey and smokey.  In every respect a cold winter night's dram, or for those that like their whisky big, robust and confronting.

Distilled 1994. Bottled July 2008. Matured in Bourbon hogsheads. Only 249 bottles produced. 58.3% Alc./Vol.