2004 Ardbeg 15 Year Old "Chieftain's" K&L Exclusive Single Ex-Bourbon Barrel Cask Strength Unchill-filtered Islay Single Malt Whisky (750ml)

The wonderful Chieftain's brand from Ian Macleod had been one of our primary sources for several years. They've got a knack for finding special casks. This is the first barrel of Ardbeg we've bottled from the "new" regime and only the second exclusive Ardbeg we've ever managed to extricate from the clutches of this very stingy distiller. Who can blame them for keeping every drop? The Ardbeg brand is still on fire and there's absolutely no reason for them to be selling to brokers or blenders. Yet here we are. Their new release, a 19-year-old version that sold out in moments at $300 a bottle is nowhere close to as intense or unique as this amazing single cask. 15 years in first fill bourbon and bottled at cask strength, there's absolutely nothing on the market in the US like this. In Europe, similar bottlings from other suppliers are selling for more than twice this price. This special cask only held 162, so don't be surprised once it disappears. This malt itself isn't particularly rare, Ardbeg is a staple for any serious shop or bar program, the fact that it's bottled as a full-strength single cask makes it one of the world's rarest bottles. You won't find purity and intensity coupled so perfectly anywhere else in the Scotland. A cask like this is exactly how Ardbeg fans become fanatics. If only there was much much more of this, the world would be a better place.