The renowned Islay distillery, Ardbeg, has released its rarest and most limited-edition offerings in India: The Ardbeg 19-YO Traigh Bhan (pronounced ‘tri-van’). Much to the delight of connoisseurs, Ardbeg has also released the revered Ardbeg 25-YO.

The Ardbeg 25-YO single malt proves unequivocally that age cannot tame Ardbeg’s smoky power; but it can yield some of the most complex and majestic flavours ever to emerge from the distillery.

Fittingly for such a precious whisky, it is presented in a unique gun metal bottle encased in a beautifully intricate metal ‘cage’ – a modern take on the classic Ardbeg knot work, and symbolic of the untamed complexity of this extraordinary whisky.

The prestige range’s oldest addition, Ardbeg 25-YO has a pungent burst of smoked cream, peppermint and toffee, with Ardbeg’s classic fennel and pine resin. An extremely vibrant, hot peppery mouthfeel leads into a burst of sherbet lemon sweetness. The finish is a mellow, lingering aftertaste of cream, fudge and delicate antiseptic notes.

Bottled at 46% ABV, it is exclusively available in travel retail outlets at Delhi international airport at Rs 88,000.

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19-YO Batch-4 demonstrates the distillery’s versatile character, and is a limited edition launch (46.2%  ABV) exclusively available at duty-free outlets in Mumbai and Delhi airports at Rs 24,000.

Produced in small batches and released year-on-year, Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19-YO Batch-4 is matured with a higher proportion of Oloroso Sherry casks, bottled at ABV, and takes on more flavours of chocolate and raisin, alongside a distinctive menthol character.

On the nose, rising aromas of herbal pine and fennel flow into sharp notes of citrusy lime sorbet and medicinal lozenge. On the palate, an intense wave of wood smoke leaves ripples of decadent dark chocolate and ground coffee in its wake. Finally, menthol, fresh lemongrass, aniseed, clove and white pepper emerge from rich, smoky depths.