Aqua Vitae 1998 Ardbeg 22 Year Old Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Aqua Vitae 1998 Ardbeg 22 Year Old Rare Cask Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky is an exceptionally rare official single cask release from one of Islay’s most revered distilleries. Distilled on 28 January 1998 and matured for 22 years before bottling in 2020, this remarkable Ardbeg spent its first six years in bourbon wood before undergoing an extended 16-year maturation in Oloroso sherry wood. Drawn from Cask #50, a second-fill Oloroso sherry butt, and bottled at a formidable natural cask strength of 56.5%, only 500 bottles were produced. The combination of mature Ardbeg peat and prolonged sherry maturation creates an intensely complex expression that has earned an outstanding 91.75/100 community rating on Whiskybase.

Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery
Bottler: Official Distillery Bottling
Vintage: 1998
Age: 22 Years Old
ABV: 56.5%
Cask Type: Second Fill Oloroso Sherry Butt
Cask Number: #50
Outturn: 500 Bottles

Selected in connection with Taiwan’s Aqua Vitae and its founder Allen Chen, this bottling represents an extraordinary chapter in the modern history of collectible Ardbeg. Aqua Vitae was established in Taiwan in 2015, with Chen sourcing distinctive casks and pursuing whiskies of exceptional individuality. The company subsequently introduced its Aqua Whisky Selection bottlings in 2017 and developed a reputation amongst Asian whisky enthusiasts for highly limited and carefully selected releases. This particular Ardbeg is especially significant as an official distillery single-cask bottling rather than a conventional independent release, combining Aqua Vitae’s cask-selection philosophy with one of Islay’s most sought-after distilleries.

Tasting Notes:
Dense yet beautifully integrated Islay peat opens alongside dark chocolate, roasted coffee, cigar smoke and smouldering coastal embers. Rich Oloroso influence develops through layers of ripe plum, dried fig and dark fruit, balanced by walnut, liquorice, citrus and earthy herbal notes. The palate is powerful and oily, bringing together lemon, cocoa, roasted nuts and deep maritime smoke with mature oak and savoury complexity. The finish is exceptionally long, with lingering malt, black tea, tobacco, salty coastal notes and persistent peat smoke gradually fading into dark sherry sweetness and warming spice.